


We can work it out

by 70mtt



Series: Playing with Matches [9]
Category: The Monkees (Band), The Monkees (TV)
Genre: 1960s, Angst and Humor, F/F, F/M, Friendship, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild Sexual Content, Multi, Siblings, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:14:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 66,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26481016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/70mtt/pseuds/70mtt
Summary: When the guys offer to run The Dive to give the girls a well-earned rest, they have no idea what they're letting themselves in for...
Relationships: Mike Nesmith/Peter Tork
Series: Playing with Matches [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1489175
Comments: 40
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

Mike was up early, sitting on a chair out on the sundeck and drinking a strong black coffee that he desperately needed to get his brain cells functioning. They’d gone to bed before the others, but he knew the afterparty had gone on until the early hours. Micky was asleep in the hammock and Davy on the couch, so he wondered who was sleeping in their beds.

Nick came out with a coffee and joined him, also joining him in the silence, watching the early morning runners and dog walkers on the beach.

“Morning, Mike,” he said quietly, looking like he had a sore head. “You okay?”

Mike nodded. “Yeah fine. I didn’t really drink as much as the others did. You any idea who stayed over?” He pointed to Davy and Micky out in the living room.

“I think Coco and a guy who turned up later…they seemed pretty close…very friendly, if you know what I mean,” Nick answered, taking a large gulp of his drink. “It was a good night, though.”

“I’ve got something I need to tell someone. I feel awkward knowing this. You know Ronnie and Vicky announced they’re both pregnant? Well, I figured out that I’m the father to Ronnie’s—something she said last month proved it—and I’m hoping, and keeping my fingers crossed that Pete’s the father to Vicky’s and not me. I don’t know how he’d take the news… I mean, what if both babies look like me? That’s bad enough as it is, but what should I do?”

“That’s something I’m glad will never happen to me. How about talking to Ronnie, see what she thinks or even talk to Pete? He might take it better than you think. I’m glad me and Claire are waiting a few years before starting a family,” Nick replied, not sure what else to say.

“I’ll think things through in my head for a bit. I can’t just come out with it.” Mike stopped talking when he noticed a half-awake Micky coming out to join them.

“Remind me not to give my bed up for my sister or anyone in future. I didn’t get much sleep in that hammock at all. Davy got to the couch first and said he had first dibs on it.”

“You know what he’s like, Mick. Hey, at least he spent the night here—it’s not that often he does. And how come Coco didn’t go back with Annie and Christine?” Mike asked as Micky sat beside him.

“Some of their friends were staying overnight and sleeping in Coco’s room, so she said she’d stop here. What do you think of her and Sam? Do you think he’s a little too old for her? I mean, she’s nearly nineteen and he’s twenty-five.” Micky was doing his overprotective brother act.

Nick answered before Mike. “From experience of having a younger sister, I’d say it’s hard to tell them what to do—it often makes them more determined to go against you. Annie was like that. She was pretty stubborn. growing up.”

“So let her do what she wants?”

“Yeah, just let her make her own choices. You don’t know how long it’ll last. Wasn’t she with a different guy just the other month? Don’t interfere. Let her make her own mistakes.”

“Thanks, Nick, but look at Annie—she’s about the same age, and she’s settled with children. You want that to last for her, don’t you?” Micky asked him.

“Yeah, I do. Christine’s nearly five years older than her too, but if things do go wrong, she’s got all of the family to fall back on. Dad thinks she’s just rebelling against him, but if the worse happened, I think he’d take her and the kids in back home.”

“Yeah, okay. I’ll take a step back and won’t interfere. Thanks, Nick.”

Mike was watching them both. “It’s interesting to listen to you both—with me not having any sisters or brothers, it’s harder to know what to say, but I guess you three would say I’m overprotective of you.”

Micky had stood up and was about to go back inside. “You’re right there, Mike—sometimes I’d say too much. You’re kinda like a dad to us. Well, maybe not so much Pete anymore…that would be wrong and oh so weird. I don’t even want to go there.” He then left the other two on their own.

“Speaking of Pete, you got any idea what time he’ll be up? I wanna ask him if he’ll take me and Claire to the airport later this evening. Mom, Gran and Chris are stopping on for a few days, but we’ve got to be back at work in a few days, so we’re taking a late flight back home.”

“I could drive you later. I don’t mind at all,” Mike suggested, getting up. “I’ll go check on him.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I wanna spend some time with Pete today. We don’t see each other a lot lately—you don’t mind, do you?” Nick asked, following Mike inside.

“No, that’s fine with me. You don’t need to ask.” He opened the bedroom door and went in. Pete was just getting out of bed. “Morning, babe. I just came in to see if you’d be up soon. Nick wants a word with you? I’ll go put the kettle on, make you some tea.”

“Thanks. I’ll be out in a few minutes. Will you let him know?” Pete picked up a T-shirt and started to get dressed.

“He won’t be long,” Mike shouted over to Nick who was now on the couch with Claire, Micky near them and flicking through the channels on the television, trying to find something to watch, and settling for some cartoons.

“Anyone want anything for breakfast?” Mike asked them, as he put the kettle on in the kitchen and poured himself another coffee. Claire appeared beside him and he poured her a cup too.

“I can make some breakfast for you all if you want. I know there’s some leftovers in the icebox and cupboard from yesterday’s party.” She found some bread and put some under the grill to toast. “You’ve got some eggs and tomatoes…anyone want scrambled eggs on toast?”

She got two yeses from Micky and Nick. “You go sit down and I’ll see to this. What would you like, Mike, and what should I do for Pete?”

Mike went and sat down. “I’m fine with anything. Are you sure you don’t want any help?”

“Not from you. Nick, you get over here and help me. Watch and butter the toast and plate it up. I’ll get on with the eggs—anyone want some tomato in theirs?”

“See what I’m gonna be putting up with every day soon? But it’s best to just nod and say yes to her, let her think she’s in charge. Always remember that, Micky, keeping your girl happy, then you’ll be happy too. Gran told me it’s ‘happy wife, happy life. I’m on my way, Claire,” he shouted over to her.

Micky just looked from one of them to another, finishing on Mike and laughed. “I think she’s got him trained…just like you do everything for Pete. I guess there’s lots of things I need to learn.”

“Hey, you need to get used to Gemma a bit more before! You’ve not been together that long yet. Oh, Pete come over here.” Mike moved to the couch and Pete sat next to him.

“Morning, Micky. What are you two on about?”

“Relationships. It was mainly Nick and Micky discussing things like how to treat a chick, and Claire showing us how she gets Nick to do what she wants.”

“She’s always been like that. She knows exactly how to get her own way with him. They’re good together though.” He looked over to the both of them in the kitchen, where Nick seemed flustered.

Soon Claire shouted over that breakfast was ready. Already on the table were cereals, orange juice, a huge plate of buttered toast, some scrambled eggs in two bowls—one with tomatoes. She’d even found some bacon and grilled it. They all sat down and started to eat.

Mike went to let Davy know everything was ready before he joined the others. “Thanks for this, Claire, Nick.” Mike helped himself to a plateful.

Micky was already stuffing his face with something of everything, his cheeks full like a chipmunk. “Hey, save some food for Davy.” Mike laughed.

“Yeah he’d better not eat it all. He’s got eyes bigger than his belly, the greedy pig.” Davy hit Micky around the head as he went to get a cup of tea. Micky laughed, helping himself to more eggs and bacon and covering them in red sauce.

Davy soon sat down and filled his plate, spreading some jelly on his toast. “S’good this. Thanks, guys.”

“No problem. It’s my thank you for letting us stay.” Claire was eating only cereals, which Micky commented on. “Hey, I’ve got a wedding dress to wear soon! My mom would freak out if I couldn’t fit in it, and I’ve got a fitting when we get back.”

“I hope all you guys can make the wedding. I’ll sort out hotel rooms for you, but there should be two spare bedrooms at home, or three if I share with Chris for the night. As far as I know only Gran will be staying at the house,” Nick said after he’d finished eating.

“How many bedrooms have you got?” Mike asked.

“There’s six, three of them en-suite. It’s a big old farmhouse with about forty acres. Did Pete never told you about it? There’s a lake, the maple tree farm, lots of outer buildings and the big barn we used to spend a lot of time playing in as kids. It’s a cool place.”

Mike stared at Pete and looked puzzled. “No, he hasn’t really said too much about the house. We’ve mainly talked about his childhood, and you moving around so much.”

“I don’t remember so much about that, I think I recall bits of Berlin but not a lot, Pete even started school over there didn’t you, an American speaking one for kids of army officers.”

“Yeah, it wasn’t too bad. I actually had schoolfriends the same age as me, and learnt German too. We had a big house there too, with a chauffeur and maids,” Pete replied to Nick.

Nick got up and stood behind Pete, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You wanna come and have a chat outside with me? I think we need to talk about a few things.” Nick started to walk out to the sundeck and Pete started to follow him, but first he turned and stared at Mike and shrugged.

“Go on, go with him,” Mike mouthed to him, so Pete went outside to where Nick had sat down.

Pete looked a little worried. “Is something wrong?”

“No, I’m just thinking about you, and this thing with the girls from the club, the whole pregnancy thing and you and Mike getting involved helping them… Are you really sure you’re both doing the right thing? Things could turn out so badly—have you thought about that?”

“Yeah, we’ve talked it through a lot. We wanted to help them. I want to be a father and have a family. That’s not something me and Mike can have together. You understand that, don’t you?”

“Yeah of course, but what about if you and Mike split up, or the girls break up and move away? Can you cope with that? You know yourself how sensitive you are—it would devastate you. I’m worried about you, and so are Mom and Gran. We talked about it last night.”

Pete just stared at him. “So you all think me and Mike won’t last? Don’t you have any faith in me? I’m happy with my life. I love Michael so much. You know what I’ve been through in the past. Right now, everything’s so good. My life’s as perfect as it could be.”

Nick put his hand on Pete’s arm. “Things might be good now, but anything can change. Yours isn’t a normal relationship. Feelings change, yours, Mike’s or the girls.” 

Pete stood up and walked over to the edge of the sundeck, leaned on the fence and looked back at Nick. “You and Claire have been together a long time, Mom and Dad too, and Gran and Grandad were together over twenty-six years until he passed away. Michael’s the only person I want to be with. I love him.”

Nick could tell he was stressing Pete out. “I’m sorry, I just don’t want to see you getting hurt, the pregnancies are a big thing, you need to be sure of what you’re letting yourself in for, how it’ll affect both your futures.”

Pete wished Mike was there with him for support. He turned to face away and looked down at the beach, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down. He suddenly turned around when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Mike was there and looked straight into Pete’s eyes and took his hand, then looked at Nick. “Everything okay between you? I can tell Pete’s getting a little worked up. If there’s a problem, you could have talked to both of us together. We talk and tell each over everything, you know, so I’d find out eventually.”

“Mike, I’m sorry. I was just explaining to Pete how we’re all worried that he’s rushing into things, well that both of you are. Like I said to him, do you know what you’re letting yourself in for, if things go wrong?”

“Yeah we do. We’re like any normal couple in that way. We discussed the pros and cons. The girls are friends, and Vicky is like another sister to Pete. I know she’d never do anything to hurt him, and Ronnie was born into a similar situation and it worked out for her parents.”

“Okay. I’m sorry for going on. It’s only because I care—you’re my brother, Pete.”

“Listen, can we just forget this chat has happened?” Pete looked from Mike to Nick, trying to gauge if they agreed with him. “Mike and I are fine with how everything is right now, aren’t we?”

Mike squeezed Pete’s hand tightly and kissed him. “We sure are, and I agree.” He held his other hand out for Nick to shake, which he did straight away.

“That’s fine with me. Sorry for bringing this up,” he replied to them. “We’re cool now, aren’t we, Pete?” He pointed at the two of them and Pete just nodded in response.

Micky came outside. “We’ve got visitors. Annie’s here with the twins and your brother Chris, Pete and Nick.” Nick followed him back inside, leaving Mike and Pete alone out on the sundeck. Mike put both arms around Pete and hugged him close.

“You’re wondering what he’s here for now, aren’t you? I can sense it. I know when you’re nervous about things. I can read most of your emotions now, babe. Don’t worry. I’ll stay with you if you wanna talk to him. Let’s go inside.” He took Pete’s hand.

“I’m worried more what Chris had to say. He tends to take Dad’s side and his way of thinking. He’s not really spoken to me since he found out about us. Let’s go find out.”

When they got inside, Claire had finished cleaning up after breakfast, and Annie and Micky were fussing over the twins. Micky had Summer in his arms, and Davy and Chris seemed to be having a staring competition, until Chris saw Pete.

Annie came over and pulled Pete to one side away, from the others. “Chris wants a word with you, okay? Just give him a chance. We spent most of the morning chatting and he asked to come talk to you.”

“I’ve already had Nick questioning me this morning—I could do without anyone else telling me what I should be doing with my life! You should understand that more than anyone.”

“Please, Peter, he’s only a kid. He’s confused—we’ve all been there.” She looked over at Chris and nodded, then beckoned him over.

“Peter, can we talk? Maybe go outside away from everyone? I need to talk to you, explain a few things.” He looked pleadingly at Pete. “Please, is that okay?”

“All right, but Michael’s coming with us.”

Mike followed them both outside.

“What have you got to say to me, then? You’ve kinda been avoiding me since me and Mike got together. You’ve not spoken to me in months—why the sudden change? What’s happened?”

Chris looked nervously at both of them. “I know. I’m sorry. I guess Dad got to me. He convinced me you were just going through a phase, that it wasn’t serious…he even said you’d be back home soon.”

“Dad’s not always right. He might like to think he is… I had enough of him being like that with me.”

“I understand. I do now. He’s trying to make me and Nick like him. I don’t want that. I want to be me. I’ve decided to not go into teaching like he expects. I’m in my last year at high school and I’ve decided to do a political science degree. I want to do something different with my life.”

Pete looked at Mike, unsure what to say. “Good for you,” was all he replied.

“I’ve met someone too. A girl in my year. She’s different—she speaks her mind too. We’re both applying to MIT, so I’ll be near Nick and Claire if I get accepted.”

“Okay.”

“Dad hasn’t met her yet but I don’t think he’d approve—she’d argue with him. I met her when some friends were laughing about you to me. They found out from a friend of Jacob’s sister. I defended you the best I could, but it was me against three guys, but Charlie stepped in and supported me.”

“You didn’t have to do that. It’s not your problem.”

“They had a go at Charlie, laughing at her about her queer brother. She didn’t take the abuse from them and shouted back, saying she didn’t care for their small-minded opinions, that they were idiots. We went off together afterward and talked, and she made me realize how mean I’d been to you, not supporting you. I’m sorry, Pete, for everything. Can you forgive me? I’m here for you anytime you need me.”

Mike stared at Pete, who looked in shock. “Go on. He’s making a genuine effort here.”

Pete didn’t say anything but he just pulled Chris close and hugged him, to let him know everything was okay between them.

Mike stood back and watched as the brothers made up in their own way, happy that Pete now finally had acceptance from both his brothers. He knew how much it meant to him, but at the back of his mind he couldn’t help wondering if their father was involved somehow and was using Chris for some ulterior motive, and being betrayed again would destroy Peter.


	2. Chapter 2

Pete and Chris were outside on the sundeck having a heart to heart, making up for the past few months awkwardness than had come between them.

“Of course I forgive you, Chris, you’re my little brother and I love you. I’m so happy that that you finally accept me for who I am. I know Dad might never understand, but you, Nick, and Annie are so important in my life. I’d never want to lose any of you.”

“Thanks, Pete. I know I haven’t been the best brother, but I’m gonna make that up to you. Same as I’ve told Annie, I’m here for both of you, always.” This time Chris pulled Pete into a hug.

Mike watched and saw Pete starting to tear up, so he walked up to them, but was interrupted by Micky coming onto the sundeck carrying Dylan with him. “What you doing, Mick, where you taking him?”

“We’re off for a walk. I’m gonna take him down to the ocean. He was getting a little loud in there, but he likes his Uncle Micky. He even giggled when I picked him up.

Mike wasn’t sure what to think about the last comment. Was Dylan learning early about how mad Micky could be? “Just be careful with him and don’t be gone too long.”

“All right, Dad. He’s a spoilsport, Dylan, don’t listen to him. Me and you are gonna have fun, aren’t we?” Micky said, going down the stairs to the beach.

Mike gave his attention back to Pete and Chris. _I’m gonna keep my eyes on Chris. There’s no guarantee we can trust him, and I won’t let him hurt Pete._ They’d both sat down.

“So, you’re gonna be all right with Michael too?” Pete was hoping for a positive reaction.

“Yes, I will be. I’m happy if you are. That’s all that matters now, I promise.”

“Thanks Chris, that means so much to me.” Pete turned slightly and smiled at Mike who was still watching them.

Mike watched them talk for a few minutes about things back home, then went inside to the others. He went up to Annie. “You think everything will be okay between Chris, you and Pete? D’you think he’s being genuine with both of you?”

“Yeah I do. He’s only a kid, remember. He’s starting to grow up more, see things as they are, If he goes away to college in another state, it will do him good, and if he gets the one he wants, Nick and Claire will be nearby for support for him. He was upset last night about how he’d treated us.”

“Well, I won’t let him hurt Pete in any way. I’m gonna be keeping my eye on him.”

Nick came over. “Listen, Mike, this new girlfriend of his seems to be having a positive effect on him. I’ve met her. She’s a nice girl, and she speaks her mind. She’ll clash with Dad—I don’t think that Chris has introduced her to Mom and Dad yet.”

“So, looks like you’ll be Dad’s favorite, the only one with a partner he approves of.” Annie laughed.

“I’m sure I’ll do something to annoy him soon. I’m gonna be doing some cartoon illustrations for people when we move to Massachusetts and, if things work out, I’ll give teaching up for that and maybe even do some writing.”

“Good for you. It’ll serve him right if he loses all of us,” Annie said.

“Well as I’ve already said, I’m looking out for Pete, but I’ll give him a chance if it makes Pete happy—that’s the most important thing to me.”

“Thanks, Mike. I’ll keep watch over Chris too, but I think he’s starting to think for himself for once. It’ll get better when he’s away from Dad,” Nick replied.

Pete and Chris came in from outside, and Chris approached Mike. “Can we start again, forget what’s happened in the past? I was in the wrong. I know that now.” He extended his hand to Mike.

Mike looked over at Pete, who just smiled back at him. “Okay, that’s fine with me.” He shook Chris’ hand, and Pete pulled them both into a group hug, “Thanks, guys. I’m so happy you’re friends,” Pete said to them both.

“I’m so glad everything’s sorted. Family is really important. Mom and Gran will be so happy,” Annie said as she came over had hugged them all, including Nick and Claire. “It’s good to be all together, getting on.”

Davy picked up Summer. “Come on, Summer, let’s go find your brother and your daft Uncle Micky, make sure they’re not causing any trouble down on the beach.”

“All right, makes sure there’s no trouble from you either, and no using her to pick up chicks,” Mike said as Davy was going to the door to leave.

Davy soon found Micky watching a group of friends playing volleyball. Dylan was with a girl, being fussed over, so Davy went and sat with them all, Summer on his lap. Soon a young blonde was flirting with him. “Is she yours? She’s so cute! Would you like any help? I’m very good with babies,” she said and batted her long eyelashes at him.

“I’m just looking after her for a friend, giving them a well-earned rest. She’s Dylan’s sister, Summer.” He pointed over to the other chick who was playing in the sand with Dylan.

“Ooh, that’s good of you. I’m Laura and this is my sister Sarah.” She pointed to the other girl. “It’s nice to meet you. It’s our first time at the beach here, we’ve just moved to a house nearby, so it’s good to meet some of the locals.”

“Well, me and Mick live over at the beach house over there.” Davy pointed to the pad.

“Lucky you. We’re about a twenty-minute walk away. We’re trying to get to know the area, meet some friends and have some fun.”

“Well, I can show you around…that’s if you want to? I’m free tonight, so we could check out a few clubs? We play at a local club three nights a week—you should come and watch us play! Mick’s the drummer and sings, and I sing but I’m kinda the front man.” That comment soon had Micky glaring at him.

“Sara, what do you think? Are you both free tonight?”

“Sorry, I’m busy. I’ve got plans with my girlfriend tonight, but I imagine Davy here will make sure he’s free to show you around.” Micky knew Davy too well.

“You got any other friends who could come along to be with Sarah?” she asked Davy.

“We’ve got two other housemates, but they’re not single.” They both always made sure to not let anyone know about Mike and Pete’s relationship, especially in front of strangers.

“It’s okay—you go off with Davy, I don’t mind,” Sarah said to her, while looking over at a guy who’d just came and sat near them. They were soon chatting away to each other.

Inside Pete had taken Annie out to the sundeck to talk to her. He felt he needed to tell someone about what he’d found out last night. “I’ve done something I’m really regretting and it’s worrying me.”

“What, Peter? What’ve you done?”

“I made sure Vicky got my sperm sample when we gave them to her and Ronnie, so I know she’s having my baby. I feel bad because I’m so happy about it, but I’m worried who’s the father of Ronnie’s baby. I really hope it’s Michael’s. He’ll be the best dad ever, much better than I’ll ever be. I mean he looks after us three so well.”

Annie could see tears forming in Petes eyes. “Calm down. I’m sure everything will be okay. Why don’t you talk to Mike about it? I’m sure he’ll understand. It was a little sneaky of you, though.”

“I know it was, but it’s my only chance to be a father. I can’t tell him what I did. He might not forgive me for being so selfish. You won’t say anything, will you?” Pete pleaded with her.

“No I won’t, but I think he needs to know. Be honest with him, Peter, he loves you, and you’re gonna be a great dad too. You’re brilliant with the twins. I don’t know what I’d do without you—well without all of you guys, but you’re my big brother.” She stroked his cheek to wipe away a few tears.

“Sorry. Okay, I’ll talk to him, I promise. I know I need to tell him everything. Thanks, Annie.”

Annie waited around until Micky and Davy returned with the twins. She and Chris said their goodbyes to Nick and Claire who’d gone to pack, ready for their flight home, then they both left for home as their mom and gran were coming for a meal.

“I’ll come with you to the airport to drop Nick and Claire off, Pete. I think we should call in at the club on the way home and check on the girls. Annie was telling me that Christine mentioned things were getting really busy at the club for them—Jacob’s only doing two shifts a week now due to his studies.”

Not much later, they were at the airport saying their goodbyes to Nick and Claire. “See you next month for the wedding. If you need anything, just give me a call, and I’ll do all I can as your best man. I love you Nick.” They hugged before the couple went off to the departure lounge.

After they’d left the airport, Mike drove along the Strip and parked outside the Dive, “No showing the girls that we know things aren’t too good, okay?”

“Okay. I’ll go and see how Vicky is, and you can talk to Ronnie. She gets on better with you, and I find it easier talking to Vicky—we seem to understand each other.”

When they got inside, Ronnie was behind the bar on her own, setting up ready for the evening. She did look a little stressed. “Hi guys. You want a drink or anything? Why don’t you go up and see Vicky? There’s plenty to drink up there. I’m just really busy right now—one of my bar staff called in sick and we’ve got a group coming in to celebrate an engagement.”

Pete went upstairs and Mike stayed behind, “You want a hand with anything? I don’t mind helping you out. How about I unstack those chairs and put them around the tables?”

“That’d be great. Thanks, Mike. Things are just hectic at the minute—staff issues. I’ve got a meeting tomorrow with a guy from a beer company about some promotion. Give me a minute. I’ll bring you a drink out and I’ll have a break.”

About ten minutes later, Mike had set up the tables and Ronnie brought him a beer and herself an orange juice and sat with him. “I could do with one of them, but don’t worry, I won’t drink. I don’t know if you’ve heard the rumour about a few new clubs opening down the block.”

Mike nodded. “I only heard about one that’s gonna be near here. You worried about the competition? I’m sure you won’t lose your regulars.”

“We need to draw new crowds in though. I’m looking for new bands—don’t worry, you won’t lose any of your nights. I want to utilise the back room more, private parties and functions… Dad set up a meeting for me with a friend of his who works in marketing.”

“I heard Jacob’s cut his shifts back due to his college work—you gonna be looking for new staff?” Mike asked Ronnie before he started drinking his beer.

“I’m gonna have to. I’m not gonna be able to work all the time. My morning sickness isn’t too bad but Vicky’s got it so much worse than me—it’s more like all day sickness. She can’t keep anything down, she’s been taking time off work, and cancelling the private music lessons she does upstairs.”

“You both need to take is easy now you’re pregnant.”

“We’re only pregnant, not invalids, Mike. Women go through this all the time. We both need to work, earn money… The club doesn’t run itself and Vicky loves her job. She’s not been working at the school too long, but she enjoys it, even teaching the one-on-one lessons to the spoilt rich kids.”

“Okay. I’m sorry about that Ronnie. I understand. My mom worked all the time, and with it only being me and her, I didn’t grow up with a dad.” He put his hand on hers.

Upstairs, Pete found a very tired-looking Vicky lying on the couch. She moved over a little so he could sit beside her. “Hey, Pete, how you doing?”

“I’m okay. How’s things with you? You don’t look too well—anything I can do for you?”

“I’m tired. Haven’t been sleeping that good, and there’s the constantly being sick. That’s not good. I have no idea why they call it morning sickness—it’s morning, noon and night for me. Luckily Ronnie’s not too bad, but she working all day in the club.”

“You’re worried about her, I can tell, but you need to look after yourself too. She probably feels the same about you.” Pete stood. “I’ll get you a drink. I brought some ginger tea. It’s good for nausea—do you want that or water?”

“I’ll try the tea. Thanks, Pete.” She sat up and plumped up the cushions to get more comfortable. Pete went to the kitchen to put the kettle on, then made the tea when it boiled and brought them both a cup back, handing one to Vicky.

“Thanks. Ooh, nice,” Vicky replied after trying a drink.

“There’s lots of other herbal teas that help with other things like tiredness, stress and sleeping. I’ll write them all down and bring some for you, try Ronnie on them.” Pete sat beside her.

“Good idea. Ronnie needs to calm down, but she won’t stop, says she’s too busy. I’m not much of a help as I’ve had to cancel some of my students’ piano lessons and call in sick for work, which isn’t good as I only started there this term.”

Pete could see she was looking worried. “Well, Mike and I will help out with anything we can. You know that. We’re as much part of this pregnancy, so anything you need, just call us.”

“Thanks, I’m gonna try and go back in tomorrow. I’m only an assistant at the moment but the head of our department wants me to get involved with planning lessons and helping with the school band and some upcoming concerts.”

“What grades are you working with?” Pete asked her.

“It’s a private junior high school, grades seven and eight. I teach some of the kids piano lessons here too—that pays well and I should be able to do that without any leave. I need to inform the school about the pregnancy.”

“I can help with any music plans for you. I know how private schools work too—went to some when I was growing up. Dad wanted to pay for the best education I could get.”

“That’d be brilliant, Pete. My work purse is just by the side of the couch—do you want to have a look through what I’ve done so far?”

Pete picked up her purse, took out her notebooks and started to read through them and look at the music scores she had.

Downstairs, Ronnie went behind the bar and came back with some paperwork. “Least some things I can do sitting down. I need to plan next week’s rota. It’s hard now—most of the older staff are good about changing shifts, but the younger ones can be awkward, so I have to work it around them.”

“Shall I take a look? I organize the guys with the chores rota at home and plan everything for the band. My aunt got me into that when I stayed with her and my cousins. She always made it fair, but trying to get Davy to do some things is hard work, so I know what you mean. He has that many plans and dates with various chicks, so he always tries to get out of work.”

“How do you keep up with them? I know the girls in the crowd here go mad for him. It’s quite funny. I’m wondering what other responsibilities I can pass onto Christine and Jacob.” She picked up a pen and started going through the rota.

“Have a staff meeting. Don’t let them tell you what they’re doing. You’re the boss, remember. Listen, I’m always available on the phone if you want to go through anything with me. You need to start relaxing more and cut back on your hours.”

She nodded at him. “I suppose it’s hard to give tasks to other people. I’m sure Jacob and Christine will cope well with any extra things—I don’t know what I’d do without Christine.”

“Okay, so the main thing for you is To start taking a step back. Stress can’t be good for you at this stage or anytime in your pregnancy.” He finished off his beer. “I’m gonna see if Pete’s ready to go.”

Upstairs, Pete had got Vicky to lie down on the couch to rest. Mike was climbing up the stairs as Pete was starting to play some soothing music on the piano. Mike stood outside as he heard the music. He knew it was Pete playing—he was used to listening to him. He decided to give him time to finish.

“This is something I’ve been working on, not anything for the group of course. One day I hope to have someone play something classical I’ve written, but we can all dream… But for now I want you to listen and relax. We need you at your best for you and the baby’s sake. We don’t want anything to happen because you’re too stressed.”

Mike came in and put a blanket over her as she started to fall asleep. “Yeah, listen to Pete. We don’t want you or the baby to get ill.”


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning was quiet in the pad. Micky had gone out with Gemma to the movies again and stayed over at her’s. Davy had been out on a date with a new chick he’d met and obviously persuaded her to let him spend the night with her.

The guys had fallen asleep watching a movie after a takeaway pizza and Mike a couple of bottles of beer that Ronnie had given him for helping her out. They’d woken up early in the morning when Mike had rolled over and fallen off the couch onto the floor, pulling Pete down on top of him, so they decided to head off to bed.

Mike and Pete hadn’t slept much during the night and they were now in the shower together. Mike had just stepped out, leaving Pete washing his hair. He was just putting some pants on when he heard the phone ring, so rushed out to the living room to answer it.

He picked the receiver up on the third ring. “Hello? Oh Mrs. Straus, what a surprise. Are you wanting to talk to Pete?” He was just about to shout him.

“No, you’re fine, if he’s busy. Ginny and I were wondering if you’d like to go to lunch with us? Young Micky was telling me about the restaurant his girlfriend’s family own. It sounds like a good place to have a family lunch.”

“That would be nice. I know where the restaurant is, but there’s only me and Pete home right now. He’s in the shower and the other two guys are out, but we’d love to come.”

“Good. How about we make it between twelve thirty and one? I’ve already asked Annie and Christine and they said yes. If Davy and Micky do come back in time, please tell them they’re invited, and don’t worry—it’s my treat. See you later. Bye, Michael.”

Mike was hanging up when Pete came out of the bathroom. “That was your gran. We’re meeting up with your family later for lunch—that okay with you?”

“Yeah that’s fine, but I want to call at the music shop near the studios. A friend told me they’re getting some new instruments in today—a clavinet. I need to have a look. One of them would be so cool. You don’t mind, do you?”

Mike could see the look Pete was giving him, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to say no to him. He never did. Pete seemed to have a knack at getting his own way. “No, it’s not far from the restaurant, so of course it’s all right.”

Pete hugged Mike tightly. “Thanks, Michael. Where are we having lunch?”

“We’re going to Gemma’s parents’ restaurant. Your gran wants to eat there.”

“We’ve not been there yet, have we? What kind of food do they serve? I imagine that they cater for vegetarians.”

“I’m sure Micky said it’s like a family friendly place. He likes the food there, but he’ll eat more or less anything. I think you’ll be okay there.”

“Are Micky and Davy gonna be coming with us if they get back in time?”

“Well they’re invited.”

As Mike was saying that, both Micky and Davy came in through the front door.

“So funny. It’s like magic— we were talking about both of you and then you suddenly appear from out of nowhere.” Pete laughed.

“Hey, Micky was bound to turn up in time to go for a free lunch. He has a built-in radar.” Mike laughed along with Pete.

Micky turned around from getting a soda out of the ice box. “What’s that, guys? We’re going out to eat? I’m well up for that. Wasn’t it supposed to be your turn to make lunch today, Pete? I’m sure the food’s gonna be so much better wherever we’re going.”

Mike slapped Mick around the back of the head. “Come on, your cooking’s not perfect. It’s mainly sandwiches when it’s your turn. You best be on your best behaviour when we’re out.”

“Why, where we going?” Micky replied, rubbing the back of his head.

“You should know the place well: Gemma’s parents restaurant, Pete’s gran says you told her about it and she thinks it’s a good place for a family meal for all of us.”

“Me and Davy aren’t their family though,” Micky answered.

“The four of us are family! We’re like brothers and have been for years—well apart from mine and Mike’s relationship changing. You two are like Nick and Chris are to me, but I spend more time with you.”

“Thanks, Pete. I’ve only got older sister and you three would be my first choice of big brothers,” Davy said but stared straight at Micky. “But sometimes he’s more like a kid brother…an annoying one.”

Micky was about to dive on Davy when they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Davy ran to answer it, finding Annie there carrying a few trash bags. “Morning, Davy. Hi, guys. Can I put these bags in your car, Mike? They’re full of my old maternity clothes. I thought you can pas them onto Ronnie and Vicky—it’s a shame to just have them lying around at home.”

“You might need to use them again,” Micky said, taking the bags from her. “I’ll go put these in the trunk,” he shouted on his way outside.

She waited until he came back in to reply. “I really doubt it, Micky. I’m happy with just the twins. Two children are enough for me. I’m lucky having one of each.”

“Well, there’s plenty of us to help if you decide you want another. How about it, Davy, you up for helping Annie out? Or how about you, Mike, but that would be a little odd having a baby with your boyfriend’s sister,” Micky said the latter pulling a face and shaking his head.

“It’s okay, Micky, and don’t worry, Davy, I don’t need help from either of you. I could never ask you, Mike, even if I did want another. It would be too weird.”

Pete was looking at all of them. “I’m glad about that. My sister and partner…I don’t even want to think about that. You agree with me, don’t you, Michael?” Pete saw Mike nodding back at him. He went over to the sink to get a drink of water.

Annie looked around at the four of them. “I better get back to the car. I’ve left Christine on her own with the twins. We’re gonna do some grocery shopping first then meet you all at the restaurant. We’ll see you all soon.” She went out of the door.

Later on, they were all at the restaurant enjoying themselves. Mike was happy as he realized why Micky liked the place so much—it had a buffet set up in one half of the main room, and there was something for all of them to eat, even plenty of vegetables and things for Pete.

Annie had started the twins, who were now five months old, on the occasional solid meal, and a waitress brought some mashed potatoes and gravy for them. Annie fed Summer while her mom fed Dylan, who seemed to have quite the appetite, his fingers neatly grabbing some of the food he was eating.

“Look at him, Micky. He takes after you, trying to eat everything as quick as possible! You been teaching him everything you know?” Davy pointed at Dylan while he nudged Micky.

“I was wondering if any of you would like to see a bit of LA?” Mike asked Pete’s mom, gran and Chris. “You could go and see the Hollywood walk of fame, Grauman’s Chinese theatre—there’s the stars and the footprints…”

“I wanna go see a movie, and see the Strip,” Chris pleaded with his mom. “This place is so different to back home.”

Micky looked over at Mrs. Thorkelson. “I’m going to a drive-in with Gemma tonight, and Chris is welcome to come with us. We can drive you up and down the Strip, get some food in a diner and drop him back at the hotel not too late, or he could stay in the spare room at the pad.”

“Oh, please, Mom! Let me! Peter and Mike will be there too, and one of you can take me to the hotel in the morning, can’t you?” He looked straight at Pete.

“Gemma will look after him, Mom, and we’ll get him back to you early tomorrow.”

Mike nodded in agreement.

“Ginny, the boys are quite responsible. You need to trust Chris—it won’t be long until he’s leaving home and going off to college and at least he’ll be nearer to you than Peter or Nick was. Give him a chance to prove himself.”

“All right, Chris, you can go, but you need to be back at the hotel before ten in the morning—we need to get ready for the flight home.” Chris stood and walked over to his mom and gave her a big hug. “Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Gran.” He winked at her, then at Micky.

Soon they were in Hollywood. Annie and Christine had gone back home as Christine needed to get ready for work, but Davy and Micky decided to join them. Micky, being a local knew more about the place. He’d already called Gemma who was gonna pick him and Chris up when they’d finished. She said she’d bring her sister along to make it a foursome.

They first went to the Chinese theater and were looking at the handprints. Chris found it funny to find Roy Rogers’ and Trigger’s, and also Gene Autry’s and his horse Champion’s. Mrs. Straus was looking for the movie stars’ handprints, putting her own hands into the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Lana Turner and Bette Davies.

Mrs. Thorkelson had her camera with her that she’d brought it for the naming ceremony. She’d taken some photos at the family lunch, and now she was snapping away at the various stars’ prints.

“This is cool! Shame Nick and Claire went home yesterday. He’d liked this,” Chris said as his mom took his and his gran’s photo in front of the theatre. She then took Pete’s and Mike’s.

Mike took the camera from her so she could have hers taken with her mom and sons. They seemed to be having a good time, Mike thought, and Mike himself was enjoying doing tourist things. They then moved along to the Walk of Fame to look at the stars on the sidewalk.

Davy went off first to meet a chick at the Santa Monica mall. Micky and Chris waited for Gemma and her sister to arrive to drive them to the movies. Mike was going to drive Mrs. Straus and Mrs. Thorkelson to the hotel but first he stopped at the music store so Pete could go in and have a look at the new keyboards they’d got in.

Mrs. Thorkelson decided to stay in the car while the other three went inside to look. Mike decided to look at what new records they had in, and Pete and his gran were looking at the clavinet he’d talked about earlier. Mike picked up the latest Beatles and Kinks albums and went to join them.

“If you want it, Peter, I’ll buy it for you,” Pete’s gran was saying when Mike stood beside him.

“No. Gran, it’s too expensive. You can’t do that. I’m gonna put down a deposit and get one when I’ve saved enough. I’ll have it soon. It sounds great, Michael. It’ll be good to try on some songs.” Mike listened to him play a short piece, neither of them noticing Mrs. Straus disappearing along with the records Mike had put down for a minute.

The owner of the store came up to them to tell Pete he needed to box the instrument up as it had been sold. Mike saw Pete looked disappointed. “Is this the only one you have?” he asked the guy.

“I’m afraid so, but a lady over there bought it.” Pete’s gran came over. She passed Mike a bag with his records. “I’ve got you some picks and guitar strings as well. I reckon you always need spares.”

“Thank you,” Mike replied, looking surprised. He pointed at the keyboard and a sad-looking Pete. “Is this anything to do with you as well?”

She gave him a sweet, innocent look, one that he recognized from Pete. “I couldn’t resist. I saw how happy Pete was just seeing it, but it’s his now. He can’t refuse a gift from his old gran, can he?”

Pete’s smile got wider and he pulled his gran into a big hug. “Thank you! I love it. You’re the best.”

The owner came over to Mike. “Where do you want this? You got a car outside?”

“Yeah, follow me.” Mike took him outside and they put it into the Monkeemobile’s trunk.

“Has Mother been buying Peter another instrument?” Mrs. Thorkelson asked Mike, who just replied with a nod. “She knows that’s what makes him happy. Have you got room for it?

“I guess we’ll be able to make a space on the bandstand,” he was replying as Pete and Mrs. Straus came out and got into the car. Mike drove first to the hotel to drop off Pete’s relatives, then he and Pete went back to the pad.

Farther along the Strip, Micky, Gemma, Chris and Maria had finished at the drive-in and were looking for somewhere to eat. Gemma pulled the car into a space at Stan’s drive-in coffee shop. “Here good for everyone? It’s a while since I’ve been here.”

A waitress soon approached the car with menus for them all. “Can I get you guys some drinks? Malts, milkshakes or sodas?”

They all decided to get strawberry milkshakes, and they all ordered cheeseburgers and fries.

“The food here is great,” Micky said to Chris. “You might even catch the odd TV star here.”

“I’ll pay for everyone’s meal as a thank you. Mom gave me some money and you paid for the movie. There should be enough left for some dessert too. I’ll get Mike and Pete a doughnut as well.”

Micky noticed that Maria and Chris seemed to be getting on. They were talking about applying to colleges and what they wanted to study. Maria was hoping to go to USC or Berkeley so she wasn’t too far from home. Chris explained how he was going to try and get away from his dad, even though the family had hope he’d go to the university where both his parents taught.

“He’d got a girlfriend,” Micky whispered to Gemma. “He doesn’t seem like Davy, so he won’t be making a move on her.” He laughed.

After they’d finished eating, the waitress came back with the bill and a bag of doughnuts, and Chris paid, giving her a generous tip. “Where we going next, Micky?” he enquired. “Is there anywhere that has any bands where kids our age can go?”

Micky checked the time and knew there was still time to go to a club nearby that allowed under-eighteens until ten, so they decided to go there. There was a band halfway through a set, so they found a table and Micky ordered a round of cokes while the girls used the ladies’ bathroom. Chris and Maria went off to dance near the stage, leaving Micky and Gemma on their own. 

“It’s a shame Chris isn’t gonna be around much longer. Maria likes him. It’s been a nice chance for her to get out the house and spend some time with a boy. She’s always in her room studying, so it’s good to see her enjoying herself. Thanks for this, Micky.”

“I’m sure she’ll meet someone soon, maybe even at college. There’ll be lots of guys around her age, and she’ll get to know other girls that she can have a social life with. She’s cute, a younger version of you. Let’s just not introduce her to Davy.” Micky laughed.

Mike and Pete spent about an hour at home working through a new song Mike was writing. He helped Pete make some space to put the clavinet on the bandstand. He checked the time when they’d done. “Let’s call it a day. We need a break. We can go see how the girls are doing and take those bags of Annie’s clothes for them.”

Pete had a quick shower, while Mike tided up a little and soon they were on their way to the Dive. It looked busy when they arrived. Christine saw them and came out from behind the bar. “Ronnie’s upstairs if you’ve come to see her. I’m not sure what’s wrong but we’ve not seen her for ages, since she finished a meeting earlier.”

“Do you think she’s overworked? She seem tired yesterday,” Mike asked her.

“I think she is a little, but she’s trying to promote the club and get us more known. She’s worried about losing our regulars to other clubs. I’ve told her, I can help her out with as much as possible, but she’s stubborn, doesn’t like anyone doing her job or taking full charge.”

Pete stared over at Mike and had a cheeky smile on his face. “Sounds just like you a little, don’t you think, Michael?”

“Hey, babe, I’m trying my best to be more laid-back like you. You’re helping me change. We’ll go upstairs and find the girls.”

Pete followed Mike up to the girls’ living room where they found Ronnie, busy on the phone and agitated. She hung up after a few minutes. “Have either of you seen Vicky today?”

Both Mike and Pete shook their heads to say no. “Isn’t it her shift at the hotel today?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, it should be, but they called me. She hasn’t turned up. I’ve called the school and she left there just after lunchtime. I’ve been ringing around all our friends and no one’s seen or heard from her all day. I’ve run out of people to call.” She burst into tears and the guys sat either side of her. Pete passed her a box of Kleenex and Mike pulled her into his chest.

Ronnie looked up at Mike. “I’m really worried. Where could she be? She can’t have just disappeared!”


	4. Chapter 4

Ronnie was distressed and Mike tried to calm her down, holding her tightly. Pete had gone to make her a strong sweet cup of herbal tea. Mike let her cry into his chest, hoping it would help her get everything out.

“Does she have any family nearby that she could be with?” he asked, trying to think of all possibilities of where Vicky could be.

“She wouldn’t go to her parents’. They don’t get on. There’s only a cousin nearby and he hasn’t seen her since last week, I’ve called everyone I can think of already.”

Pete came back with some camomile tea for her. “This should help calm you down. I doubt she’s too far away. She could have lost track of the time, Annie got what she called a baby brain and forgot things and what she was supposed to be doing sometimes.”

“Do you want us to get the Monkeemobile and drive around the area, see if we can see her car around anywhere nearby? We can get Micky, let him look around in Annie and Christine’s car—he knows a lot more places than us.” Mike picked up the keys to the Monkeemobile.

“I could call the police, but they’ll say she’s not been missing too long. Or how about ringing the local hospitals? She could have had an accident, anything could have happened.” Ronnie said

Christine came upstairs to tell Ronnie there was a promotor here to see her about something, and could she come downstairs to have a meeting with him. Ronnie looked at Christine. “Do you think you could deal with him? Tell him I’m really busy at the moment.”

“The bar’s pretty busy. I need to be there. Adam has called in sick again. I could ask the guy to come back another day.”

Mike stood up. “How about I go down and see what he wants? I deal with promotors and managers, so I can help.”

“Please. If you don’t mind, that would be great. Thanks so much.”

Mike followed Christine downstairs and she introduced him to the promotor. They shook hands and found a table to sit at and Christine brought them both a drink over.

“Ronnie’s busy with a family emergency, so she asked me to come and talk to you. What is it you’re here for?”

The guy took a drink of his beer. “I’m John. I work for a local brewery who supply most of the clubs around the Strip, and we’re trying to organize a competition for the best club of the ones we work with. We’ve decided to include the Dive as they order most of their drinks from us. It’s between six clubs on the Strip—we’re gonna send judges in at random times. Do you think Ronnie will be happy to take part?”

“Yeah, I’m sure she will. I play in the house band here and I know how important this place is to her, so yeah go ahead and put us forward.”

John gave Mike some paperwork with some rules and terms about the competition. “Pass these onto Ronnie get her to sign the paperwork and get a copy back to us. Pleasure doing business with you and tell her good luck.”

“I’ll pass everything on to her and I’m sure she’ll be in touch. This is great news for her and the club.” Mike shook his hand again and went back upstairs.

Pete had tried calling a few hospitals and no one knew of Vicky being admitted. The police said they’d come to see Ronnie, but it wasn’t a priority due to Vicky not being missing long, so it might be tomorrow before they could visit and with any luck Vicky would be back by then.

This was just making Ronnie panic more. Mike put the paperwork to one side, telling her he’d talk to her about it later, it could wait for now. She was now cuddling up to Pete still crying, and he was stroking her hair.

“What should we do now? Would you go and look, I’ll call my dad too, see if he’ll go and search too. I’ll get my car and join in. We need to find her as soon as possible.” She looked straight at Mike.

“You’re stopping here. You shouldn’t go out driving around in the state you’re in. Is there anyone who can stay with you? Pete, call Annie. I know she’ll have to bring the twins but she’s good in a crisis. Ask her to pick Micky up. I’ll call him from downstairs.”

Both of them went straight to the phones. Annie agreed to what Mike wanted, saying she’d get there as quickly as she could, and luckily she had the car as she’d dropped Christine off at work earlier. The twins were still up, so she’d get them in the car and be on her way.

Mike got hold of Micky. Gemma was just about to leave and could drop him at the club. Mike went back up to pass the news onto Ronnie. Within half an hour, Annie had arrived and had settled the twins in the spare room and Micky was there. Chris had also come along to help Micky look, two set of eyes being better than one.

Ronnie had calmed down a little, and was on the couch with another cup of tea.

“You stay here by the phone. Vicky could ring at any moment, and we’ll keep in touch with you. Pete and I will go right and Micky and Chris go left. I hope we find her soon,” Mike added in a whisper to Pete.

They both got in the Monkeemobile. Mike had given Micky some change to make sure he called back to the girls regularly. “We’ll drive to the hotel first and check around there,” Mike suggested to Pete who agreed with him. 

When they got there, Pete went inside and talked to some of the staff on duty, and Mike searched the whole car park. He waited for Pete to come out. “No luck, no one’s seen her all day and she never called to say she wasn’t coming in or was ill or anything. Our boss says she’s never let them down before.”

“Okay, so what do you suggest next? Do you know of any other places she might’ve gone?”

“She does give private one on one piano lessons, but I think she only does them at their flat, unless she’s taken on any other pupils where she needs to go to them. You don’t think she could have gone to the old place she shared with Diana, the chick who got obsessed with you?”

“I doubt that. I heard that she moved out of the state when she got kicked off her course and lost her place at the sleep clinic, and I don’t wanna think about that crazy woman. She nearly broke us up, Pete.”

“I know. I’m sorry for bringing her up. Some things are best not to look back on. Let’s just concentrate on now and our future…by the way, I’ve got something I want to tell you.”

Mike turned off the engine that he had just started, and looked at Pete’s worried face. “There’s something I need to talk to you about too. Let me go first, babe. It’s something that’s been playing on my mind for a few days now.”

“No, I’d rather talk first please. It’s something I feel bad about, because I promised to be always honest with you.” Pete took Mike’s hand.

“Let me, Pete. I know what you mean—I’ve been keeping something from you, and I have to tell you everything. Please let me tell you first this time.” He kissed the back of Pete’s hand, and Pete indicated to him to go ahead and tell him.

“It’s something I only realized the other day when Ronnie and Vicky announced their pregnancies, with them saying Ronnie was about a month further on than Vicky, which means she got pregnant on the first attempt.”

“Okay, so…” Pete started to talk.

“Let me continue, Pete. After the first time, she said she’d used the sample that wasn’t as full… That was the one I dropped, and I knew from the pot that it was mine. I think the lid was different—that’s how I knew the difference—so it looks like I’m the father of Ronnie’s baby, and I feel bad about it.”

Pete stared at him and smiled.” Michael…”

“No, Pete, wait a minute. Now Vicky’s pregnant after the second attempt and I’m worried that her baby could be mine too! Are you okay with this? I mean we won’t have any idea until the babies are born, but I feel bad about the whole thing. I’m sorry, Pete.”

Pete started to laugh, causing Mike to wonder why he had reacted like this to the revelation. “Pete, it’s not a laughing matter! Don’t you realize what this means? I could have got them both pregnant.”

“I understand, Michael, of course, but my confession is very similar to yours, only that I was a little sneaky. I know which sample Vicky used. The pot had a mark on the bottom and I passed it to her. You gave Ronnie the other one.”

It was now Mike’s turn to look confused, but Pete started to explain. “I used the pot that had the mark on it, so I know Vicky used my sample, and I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you. I talked to Annie about it. I knew I had to be honest with you. I was so hoping that you were the father to Ronnie’s baby, and you are.” Pete smiled at Mike.

“So if I understand, your sample got Vicky pregnant, which means we’re both really gonna be dads? That’s the best news ever! It’s worked out perfect.”

“So we’ve both been worried over nothing! This is the best news.” Pete laughed

“I spoke to Nick because I had to talk to someone about it. He told me to tell you, and that you’d be fine about it, but I couldn’t help worrying you’d be upset.”

“We need to decide if we should tell the girls. Do you think they’d want to know?”

“We need to find Vicky first, Pete, then we can decide what we do. It’s getting darker now so it’s gonna get harder. Let’s find somewhere we can call and see if Micky and Nick have had any luck finding her. We’ll go to that diner over there. Come on, Pete.”

They got to the diner and Mike got a coffee and called the flat. Annie answered the phone. “We’ve not seen any sign of Vicky or her car—has Micky called back yet?”

“Yeah about ten minutes ago. They’re the same as you—no sign of her. Ronnie’s getting more worked up. Her dad’s coming round soon. She’s not good. Her dad’s calling their doctor to see if she can call and give her something to calm her down. I’ve never seen her like this before.”

“Okay, we’ll drive around for about another hour but it’s getting harder as it gets later. We’ll see you soon. Thanks for helping out.” Mike went over to Pete who was waiting in the car. “Nothing. They’re still looking too.”

About an hour and a half later, everyone was back in the girls’ flat. No one had had any luck finding Vicky. The doctor had called and given Ronnie some medication to calm her down. “Listen, Christine and I can stay overnight with her. The twins are settled and the club needs closing. You lot go and get some sleep.”

“Okay,” Mike replied. “But we’ll be back first thing in the morning to resume the search. I think we need to ring the police again. Surely they’ve got to do something when a pregnant young woman goes missing.”

Mike didn’t sleep too well, and Pete had tossed and turned all night. He was sitting reading when Mike woke up. It was eight o’clock in the morning, and Pete was already dressed.

“Oh good, you’re awake. I’ve already started up the coffee for you. I know you’ll need to have a drink before we set off. Micky and Chris are still in bed. I’ll go make us both a drink while you get ready.” Pete went off to the kitchen, Mike stayed lying down for about another five minutes. _I better get dressed. Pete’s panicking already, I can tell. I just hope things go better today._

When he got into the living room, a coffee was on the table for him and Pete was talking to someone on the phone. He mouthed to Mike that it was Annie. “Don’t worry—we’ll be there soon.” Pete looked over to Mike.

“Let me finish my drink, and then we can set off. How’s Ronnie? Have they heard any news about Vicky?” Mike went and stood beside Pete and put his hand in Pete’s.

“No news. Ronnie’s asleep. She’s had a bad night, so they’re letting her rest.” He went back to talking to Annie. “I’ll ask Micky to drop Chris off at the hotel for Mom, and see if he minds helping in the search again. Did anyone call the cops?” He hung up after a few minutes.

“The police are gonna look for the car, and someone’s gonna go talk to Ronnie this morning, but things aren’t looking good right now. She’s been missing nearly eighteen hours.”

“Well at least they’re gonna do something now. It’s about time. You want any breakfast before we go out?” Mike asked, picking himself up an apple.

“I’ll have a banana. I’m gonna to wake Micky and tell him we’ll be leaving soon and ask him to take Chris to the hotel. It’s their flight home today.” Pete went off to the upstairs bedroom.

He met Mike outside in the Monkeemobile. “Okay, let’s go.” Mike started the engine and soon they were parked outside the club, and going to the girls’ flat via the back entrance. Annie answered the door and let them in.

“Morning, guys. Ronnie’s awake and in the living room. Her dad’s in there with her and they’re talking to a cop.” They sat in the kitchen and waited until the policeman had left. Ronnie’s dad thanked the guys for all their help. They hadn’t met him before and he wasn’t what they expected, which he seemed to be able to sense.

Ronnie introduced them to him, and he shook their hand. He gave Mike a card with his number on. “If there’s ever anything my partner or I can do for you, just call us. He’s a lawyer. He’s the one who called the police and managed to persuade them to get involved. I’m going to have a drive around. I’ll call you, Ronnie, if I have any luck.” He hugged her and left.

“I wouldn’t want to mess with him. He’s got quite a temper.” Annie laughed, and sat herself down beside Ronnie on the couch.

“It’s the Irish in him. My grandad was from an Irish immigrant family who lived in New York.”

“Our gran’s the same. Her father was from Ireland. We’ve got quite a mixture of different heritages in our family—Irish, English, German, Jewish and Nordic too. Reason I can be a mess at times,” Pete said.

“That is a varied mix.”

“Ronnie, I add Italian to the mix with the twins’ dad, but luckily they seem to have the looks and temperaments of the maternal side of family.”

Mike stood and looked over at Pete. “Let’s get off and start searching again. Let’s hope we find her soon. Don’t worry, Ronnie. I’ve got a feeling you’ll see her today.”

“I hope so. Thanks, Mike. You’re all the best friends. I can’t thank you enough, Annie. I’m gonna get a shower, see if it will wake me up a bit. I didn’t sleep to well.” She went to the linen cupboard and picked up a few towels. “I won’t be long.”

Mike and Pete were back in the car. Mike had decided to drive to the school Vicky worked at and then take the route she would have been following on her way to the hotel. He’d also got a photo of her and was gonna stop at a few places that they would pass to ask if they’d seen her yesterday.

The first place he tried was a grocery store nearby the school. “They’ve not seen her,” he said to Pete when he got back in the car. “I know there’re two gas stations—she might have needed to fill the car up?”

They had no joy at the first, but at the second the cashier recognized Vicky, saying she’d been in to buy some chips and soda yesterday afternoon. “She went this way, Pete. The chick in there remembered her from yesterday, so let’s hope she’s not too far away.”

Mike drove a little farther. Finding a store with a phone outside, he called and updated Annie.

They soon started on their way again. A few miles down the road they saw a car at the side of the road near a motel. Pete pointed it out to Mike. “Stop! Does that car look familiar to you? I know Vicky and Ronnie have a light blue car?”

Mike pulled up at the side of the car and walked around it, having a good look, peering inside the windows. The car was empty and locked up. “Yeah, Ronnie drives a Ford Falcon. I think it’s theirs. It looks like it ran off the road. Let’s go and see if anyone in that hotel has seen her about.”

There was a young guy behind the desk. “Hi, can I help you? D’ya wanna room?”

“No, we’re just looking for a friend and it looks like her car parked up just over there.” Mike went to get Vicky’s photo from his jacket pocket.

“Yeah there was this cute chick in it yesterday afternoon. She came over here when I was outside having a smoke. She seemed a bit out of it. I took her to a room told her to sleep it off.” 

Mike showed him the photo, and noticed his reaction.

“Yeah that’s her. Average height, long blonde hair, good looking… She your chick?”

“No, just a friend…and you better have not touched a hair on her body.” Mike was getting angry with the guy’s attitude.

“Hey, chill out, man. I showed her to a room and she collapsed onto the bed, so I left her to fall asleep and locked the door. I don’t mess around with guests…unless they’re up for it. Here, room eight.” He passed Mike a key.

Pete stared at Mike when they walked to the room. “Don’t let him get to you. Calm down.”

Mike unlocked and opened the door and they both went in. He opened the curtains and the person in the bed stirred, then sat up a abruptly and stared at them. With a scared look on her face, she moved back to the bedhead tucking her knees up to her chin, wrapping the sheets around her.

“Get out of here now, whoever you are!” She went to pick up the phone on the bedside table. “Leave me alone or I’ll call the police.”

Mike stared at Pete. Neither of them had no idea what to do next.


	5. Chapter 5

Mike went to get the phone before Vicky could grab the receiver, but she went to snatch it off him.

“Give me that and get out of here now. I’ve no idea who you are, or why either of you are in my room.” She grabbed her purse from the side of the bed.

Pete went to sit beside her and she put her purse down to form a barrier between them. While she was busy watching what Pete was doing, Mike got the chance to call Ronnie. Annie picked up the phone.

“We’ve found her. We’re in a motel room not far from the Strip. It looks like she ran the car off the road. She’s got quite a bruise on her forehead—I think she had a knock to the head. She seems in a very confused state.”

“Vicky.” Pete tried to take her hand. “It’s me, Pete, and that’s Michael. You know us.”

“Don’t touch me! Move away from me or I’ll hit you.”

Pete tried again to touch her hand. Instead she hit him in the face and raised her other hand to attack him. Mike threw the phone down and went to get in between them to stop her.

“Vicky, please calm down. Come on, relax and breathe deeply in and out. Mike, go back and talk to Ronnie. Tell her we’re bringing Vicky home and ask her to call their doctor.”

Mike did as Pete asked but kept his eye on them. Vicky had gone quiet and now looked disoriented. She was nearly in tears. “I don’t know how I got here or why I’m here. My head hurts and I feel dizzy.” She still seemed wary of the two of them.

Pete decided to ask her some questions to see how she was. “Do you recognize me at all?”

“No, I don’t.” She shook her head.

“Do you know your name?”

She replied no again.

“Have you any idea where you are? And what day or date it is today?”

“I know I live here in LA, but I’m not sure where I am now, apart from in a motel room. It’s Tuesday morning and it’s November.”

“Does the name Ronnie mean anything?”

Vicky seemed to react when Pete asked her that. “The name Ronnie seems familiar. I think I know a Ronnie.”

Pete decided to try something else. He started to hum a piece of music they’d played together when they duetted at the hotel and she joined in with him. He looked over at Mike and smiled.

“Can I look in your purse please?” She nodded and Pete took out her wallet, finding her driving licence. “Look that’s you, and that’s your address. Michael and I will take you home. Is that okay?”

“I guess so.” She was staring at her driving licence.

“I’m gonna call a garage and get your car towed in. It looks like you ran off the road. My friend will sort it out for you. I told Ronnie we’ve found you. She’s relieved and can’t wait to see you. I promised her we’ll get you back home safe.” Mike sat beside Pete on the bed, trying to keep a slight distance from her. 

Vicky was busy looking through her purse and wasn’t paying much attention to the guys. She picked up a letter and looked at the envelope. “I live with Ronnie, don’t I?” Peter nodded to her;

“You okay, Pete? She hit you pretty hard.” Mike moved Pete’s bangs to check his face. “You two are gonna have matching bruises. I wouldn’t want to take her on in a fight.”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. She just freaked out, but she seems better now. She seems to remember a few things.”

“I’ll call, then get the car sorted. You try and persuade her to come to the car with us,” Mike said.

“Vicky, we’ve got our car outside—are you gonna come with us? Michael will take the keys back to the front desk and check you out of this place.”

Mike knelt down in front of her. “Listen I’m just gonna ask you this once, and tell me if you remember anything at all… The guy on the front desk is a bit of a creep…did he lay a finger on you, or even try and flirt with you in any way?”

“I can’t remember much at all, but I don’t think he did.”

Mike noticed a bruise on her left arm. “Do you know where or how you got this? If it was from that punk, I’ll kill him.”

“Sorry no. God I feel so stupid. I can’t even remember who I am, and I’m still not sure who either of you are and why you’re here, but I know I feel sick all of a sudden.” Vicky got up and ran to the bathroom.

“I’ll go return the key.” Mike headed to the door.

“Michael, just one minute. Promise me one thing, that you won’t do or say anything to that guy? Just give him the keys and walk away? I don’t want you getting into any trouble.”

“Okay, no problem. See you both at the car.”

Mike left to go to the front desk and Pete waited for Vicky to finish and they then went and sat in the car. Pete noticed she seemed to recognize the Monkeemobile.

“You’re both in a band, right? And I work with music too—I found some sheet music in my purse.”

“Yeah that’s right. You play the piano! You’re a teaching assistant, hotel pianist and give private lessons too. We often play together at the Windsor Hotel.”

“Your friend seems a bit angry. Doesn’t he like me? You…you’re not my boyfriend, are you?”

“No, Vicky, just friends. I’m with Michael. He’s my boyfriend, and you both get on well. He’s angry with the guy who works here—he gets protective.”

“So you two are together? Are people okay with that?”

“Most people we know are, but we have to keep it a secret,” Pete answered. 

Vicky nodded. “I understand. Ronnie, is she my girlfriend?”

“Yeah she is.” Pete replied “

Mike got back and they were soon on their way. When Mike drove slowly past the hotel, Vicky seemed to be staring at the place and smiled. “I know that place—we play there, don’t we, Pete? I seem to remember us playing for an older couple having an anniversary.”

“That’s right! That was the other month. That’s when we first played together.”

Vicky took a notepad from her bag and started looking through it, then looked at her watch “I’m supposed to be teaching Susan a lesson in about twenty minutes—we need to get to the Strip. I don’t want to keep her waiting. Her mom won’t be happy if I’m late.”

“We’ll be there soon. Don’t worry.”

A few minutes later they were at the Dive and Mike pulled into the lot. Vicky grabbed her purse and got out. “Good—Mrs. Richards car isn’t here yet. I need to get up to the apartment.” She started to walk off in front of them.

Mike put his hand on Pete’s arm. “Some things seem to be getting familiar to her, but I think she needs to go slowly—we don’t want her getting too overwhelmed.”

“She seems better than she was earlier. She remembered about her and Ronnie being together. At first she asked if I was her boyfriend, and she was cool when I told her I was yours. I think it triggered a memory back to her.” Pete gave Mike a big smile and held his hand as no one else was around.

They soon caught up to Vicky as she got to the side entrance. She opened the door and heard voices, so she went up the stairs. Pete stayed behind her. Annie was the first person she saw, and then she noticed Ronnie on the couch in the living room.

Ronnie came up to her. “Vicky, are you okay?” She went to hug her, but Vicky stepped back for a moment. After looking around the room, she went over to Summer who was lying on the couch. “Hello, little one. Is Dylan here too?” She turned around to Annie.

“Yeah, they’re both here. We stayed overnight with Ronnie. We’ve all been so worried about you. The guys have been looking for you since yesterday.”

“Sorry…I’m confused. I can’t remember too much. Some things are still a bit of a blur.”

Ronnie tried again to approach her. She stood next to Vicky, who’d now sat down next to Summer. “Do you know who I am?” she asked her.

“Yeah, of course, Ronnie! How could I forget you? I love you—that’s one of my best memories. We live here together, don’t we?”

“Yeah, I manage the club downstairs, and Annie, Mike and Pete are our friends.” Ronnie looked happy.

“I better get ready. I’ve got spoilt Susan coming for her piano lesson and don’t want to give her mom anything to complain about.” She went over to her piano. “I’ll be okay up here, if you want to get back to work.”

“Don’t worry—your lesson’s cancelled. I called Mrs. Richards and told her you were ill, so you’ve got all day free. Just the doctor will be here soon—you don’t mind me calling her, do you?”

“No, it’s okay… Have I got time to get a shower? I need to wash my hair.”

“Yeah. Do you need anything—something to eat or a cup of coffee? Have you eaten since yesterday?” Annie asked her. “I’ll go make drinks for everyone.”

“I just had a bar of chocolate and an apple that was in my purse yesterday evening. I’d love a coffee, though, please, and maybe some toast.” She went off to the bathroom.

Ronnie looked straight at Mike and Pete. “Thanks so much for everything, all your help. I let the police know you found her. Does she seem okay to you? I understand that she’s a little confused, and I saw the bruise on her head.”

“Well this guy helped her into a room. I didn’t like the look of him, but she claims he didn’t lay a finger on her but there’s that bruise on her arm… Could he have dragged her in or held her down in the room? I didn’t want to ask her too much,” Mike said before Pete got chance to talk.

“Michael, let’s not think about that please. She didn’t seem to know us at first, but we did seem to wake her up, so we know she at least slept in a bed last night.”

There was suddenly a knock on the door and Annie went to see who it was, coming back a few minutes later with the doctor. “Hello, Ronnie. I got here as quick as I could. Is Vicky about? Does she have any injuries we can see?”

“She’s got bruises on her head and arm, and seems confused. Maybe she’s got concussion? She remembers a few things. I asked her some questions, but she was vague on some. She’s just in the shower,” Pete answered her.

“Okay, I’ll take her to the bedroom and examine her when she’s finished. I’ll check to see if everything’s all right with the baby. Has anyone asked her if she’s had any cramps?”

Everyone shook their heads to say no. “No one mentioned the baby to her,” Ronnie replied.

“Good, we don’t want to rush things. Just be patient with her for now.” Annie passed her a coffee when she brought everyone’s drinks in.

The doctor went to examine Ronnie. “How are you feeling? You’re pregnant too, remember? Did you manage to sleep last night?” She got some equipment out of her bag and checked Ronnie’s heartbeat, blood pressure and felt her stomach. “You seem fine, but you need to get plenty of rest and avoid any stress, both of you.”

“I didn’t sleep well. I was worried about her. I’m just so glad she’s back home. I was scared she’d had an accident.” Ronnie started to cry and Annie came and put her arm around her. “Just give her some time and things will be all right.”

“I hope so. She just isn’t her normal self. It’s horrible seeing her like this. Please concentrate on Vicky, not me,” she said to their doctor. “I’m worried about her and the baby.”

They heard Vicky go from the bathroom into her bedroom, and Ronnie took the doctor through to see her. Ronnie came back and left them alone. “She’s gonna do some cognitive tests as well.”

Inside the bedroom, the doctor sat Vicky down and went through similar questions to those Pete had asked her earlier. It took a while, but she got her name, the day and date, and she knew the name of the club, the hotel and school where she worked.

“That’s good so far.” The doctor checked into her eyes with her torch and tested her reflexes. “It looks like the knock to your head has given you concussion and caused a temporary amnesia, but things seem to be coming back to you gradually. I just want to look to see if you have any other injuries. Is that okay.” Vicky nodded yes.

“I feel better than when I woke up earlier. I hit one of the guys, I think. I just panicked when he touched me. They must be mad at me.” She quickly put her hand up to her mouth. “I won’t be long. I need to go and be sick again.”

Vicky came back about five minutes later, clutching a glass of water. “Sorry about that. That’s the second time today already.”

“Don’t worry, Vicky, it’s just morning sickness. It’s something most women go through early on in pregnancy. Ronnie’s going through it too—you’ll be going through so much together.”

“I’m pregnant?” Vicky responded looking shocked. “How…wh…when…who?

“You’re just over a month gone. I don’t know all the details, but I know you and Ronnie wanted to start a family, and the guys out there, your friends, helped you out. You need to try and calm down and relax—stress isn’t good for the baby. You’ve both had a rough few days.”

Meanwhile in the living room, Ronnie was getting anxious. “I hope everything’s okay with Vicky and the baby. I was so scared I’d never see her again. I don’t know what I’d do without her, if I could go through with this pregnancy on my own.” She put her hand on her stomach.

“I’m sure she’ll be okay. You’re both pretty tough, and you don’t need to think like that now. She’s home, and this baby will be as strong as you are. You’re gonna be a family! The twins have made my life complete,” Annie said as she hugged her.

The doctor joined them a few minutes later. “Vicky’s just getting dressed.” She noticed the worried look on Ronnie’s face. “She’s fine, Ronnie. She had concussion but everything seems to be coming back gradually to her.”

“Oh good. Thanks for coming.”

“That’s no problem. One thing I suggest is that she needs to rest for a while. Get her to take some time off work—both of you need it. I can see how stressed you are too. Can you take a break?”

“The club’s really busy, and we’re short-staffed, so I can’t take time off, but I’ll make sure Vicky does.”

“Ronnie, I think the best thing is for you to go away for a while. You need to stop working all the late nights. Have you got staff that can take over what you do?”

“There’s Christine and Jacob, but they mostly just know the bar side. I look after everything else—the bands, parties, events…and we’re now in a competition for best club on the Strip.” She noticed Vicky coming back into the room and got her to come and sit down next to her.

Mike went over to her. “Listen to me, Ronnie. How about if we take over for a while? I’m good at organizing things, I’m like a manager to our band, and I seem to do okay there. I helped you out with the promotor the other night.”

“Mike, I’m grateful for that, but I can’t expect you to do that! Thanks all the same for the offer.”

“Hey, Ronnie, me and Pete are concerned about both of you. We’ve got a vested interest too, being part of the babies’ lives, so surely I can have an opinion on this?”

“I don’t think you’d last a minute! There’s so much to do—the club’s my baby too. I wouldn’t trust just anyone to take over from me. No offense, Mike.”

“None taken, but why don’t you give us a chance? There’s four of us, so how about you let us run things tonight? You can be here and watch over us, show us the ropes, put us to the test?”

Ronnie stared at Vicky. “What do you think?”

“I say let Mike have a go, but what about my jobs? I’ve only just started at the school last month, then there’s the hotel, and I’ve got private lessons most days… I can’t afford to lose my pupils—if they go to another piano teacher, I won’t get them back.”

“Pete, you could help out there, can’t you, babe? You already work at the hotel so that should be okay. You’re good at teaching Davy the bass, you’re patient… You think you could help?”

“Of course! Anything to help you out, Vicky. I’ll even have a go at your school hours if they say it’s all right if I cover for you,” Pete answered, to Mike and Vicky.

“I’ll call the school and some of my pupils. I can’t see it being a problem. You’re a better pianist than me. Thanks, Pete.” She hugged him then went to make a few calls.

Ronnie didn’t notice her dad watching them all. He was also talking to the doctor. “I’ve got a friend who runs a health spa. I’m gonna book you both in for a week’s stay. I’ll drive you there tomorrow morning myself.”

“But, Dad—”

“No if or buts, you’re going. Mike, isn’t it? I own this club and I’m cool with you taking over for a week. You’ve got my number and you can call me anytime for advice. I’ll make it worth your while of course.”

“All right, Dad. I’ll see the four of you here tonight and I’ll go through everything with you.”

Vicky came back to Pete. “The school want to meet you this afternoon, and if they like you, they’ll let you cover for me. I only do three four-hour blocks a week, so it’s not too much.”

A little later the guys were in the car ready to go back to the pad and talk to the others. “You really think we can do this, Mike?”

“Sure, Pete. I organize everything in the pad and for the band and you know what a handful looking after Micky and Davy can be—how hard can running a club be? I really think we can do this, don’t you?”

Mike didn’t know whom he was trying to convince more, Pete or himself. “ _Oh my god, what have we let ourselves in for?”_ he was thinking as they pulled out of the parking lot.


	6. Chapter 6

Mike and Pete arrived back at the club later in the afternoon. They’d called at the school on their way and Pete had impressed the head of the arts department with his music knowledge and what instruments he could play.

Mike had been waiting in the car. “How did it go? Does it look too bad?”

“It’s a junior high. Private school too. Kids with money, smaller classes… It could go either way, but they want me to start at nine tomorrow morning. I have to wear and shirt and formal pants.”

“Hey, you can manage that! Let’s get on our way to the club. Davy and Micky are gonna be there in a few hours. Davy says he’s gonna spread the word that he’s helping at the club for a week. He thinks it will draw in more chicks.” Mike laughed.

“That could work against us if some of his ex’s turn up—we could have a riot on our hands, and Ronnie won’t trust us to help out if there’s any trouble.”

Mike pulled the Monkeemobile up around the back of the Dive. “You really sure we can do this, Michael?” Pete asked as he got out of the car and walked behind Mike.

“I’ve got every confidence in us. The other two are both outgoing and know how to work a crowd. I have some management skills. We’re a good band and we can find Ronnie another regular band for the nights we don’t play. We know the staff and some of the regulars.”

“Okay, I trust you. We can invite some bands to try out, get that sorted before the girls return.”

“We need to get through tonight first, but I’ve got a good feeling about it.” They walked in and were met by Ronnie, who was sitting at a table doing some paperwork.

“Hey, guys. You definitely up for tonight, Mike? It’s hard work and long hours.” Mike sat in the chair opposite her. “I need to go through some paperwork with you, Mike. Pete, Vicky asked if you’d go up and see her when you got here. She wants to go through her work diary with you.”

“Okay, I’ll go now.” Pete left them and went upstairs to the flat.

“Hi, Pete. Come sit down. You want a drink? Tea or a soda?” She held out a bottle of Coke and Pete took it from her. “How did it go at the school?”

“Good. I start tomorrow. I managed to get a friend from the studio to cover your shifts at the hotel. He’s needing some extra cash for repairs to his car. You don’t mind, do you?”

“No, Pete. That’s cool. So, this is my diary with all the private lessons I do here.” She handed it over to him. “I’ve got about a dozen private pupils. They don’t all have weekly sessions. The youngest girl is seven and the oldest is eighteen. It’s mainly girls and about four boys.”

Pete was looking through Vicky’s notes. “They’ll at different stages too, and the first lesson tomorrow is Susan Richards for two hours. The spoilt girl, I remember you saying.”

“Yeah, she’s the eighteen year old. Her mom thinks she’s perfect, but she’s a bit lazy. Don’t let her get away with anything. She tries to play easy pieces but she’s good and has a lot of potential. Daisy is tomorrow as well. Her mom brings her after school. She’s the seven year old—wait until you hear her play. For her age, she’s brilliant.”

“Okay. I can’t see it being a problem. I can cope with this…well, I hope so.” He put the diary down.

“Of course you will. You’re better than me. This should be so easy for you. You ought to look into giving lessons—the parents pay well, and you could teach guitar, bass and more than I can.”

“I’m happy with things the way they are. I had lessons as a child and got tired of them. I don’t mind covering while you have your break, though. You need to turn off and forget about things for the week. Just relax and be pampered. My mom and gran go to spas a lot back at home. They like them.”

“I don’t know what to expect. I’ve never done anything like this before. We didn’t have many vacations as a family—Dad was always too busy working.”

Downstairs, Mike had made some notes about doing the orders Ronnie had shown him about the staff rota. She also gave him the paperwork the promotor had left about the competition. “You need to read this—mystery judges could turn up at anytime, probably when you least expect it.”

“Okay. I’m sure we can cope with that.”

“Mike, things can get complicated! There’s a lot of work, long hours, dealing with the staff, plus you’re gonna be playing your usual sets too… I think its best if I don’t go.”

“No, Ronnie, it’s planned now. Your dad’s booking the spa for you. So go, get some things packed up and go tomorrow and forget about this place for a week. You both need this break.”

“It can be cancelled. It all depends how you lot cope tonight. There’s still two of you missing, which isn’t a good start.”

“Hey, give them a chance! They’ll be here soon. Anyway, you got any entertainment planned for tonight? Any band booked? Do you have a diary for all the upcoming acts and anything else important that we’ll need to be aware of?”

“Come on. I’ll take you to my office. It’s even got a cupboard with emergency beer and whiskey. You’re welcome to help yourself—you tend to need a drink most days.” Ronnie stood and Mike followed her to the back of the club.

The office wasn’t too big, just a small desk and two chairs. It had a small window. Ronnie opened up a cupboard to show him the hidden booze. “I don’t think I’ll tell the others about that.” He laughed.

There was suddenly a knock at the door and Micky and Davy opened it. “What are you two up to hiding away in here?” Micky grabbed a beer for him and Davy. He passed Davy a bottle. “We’re both here ready and reporting for duty, sir.”

“I’ve been up and down the Strip, in cafes and stores, even been chatting with some birds from around the Santa Monica Mall. I got quite a lot of them interested… Is it okay if I do a solo spot tonight? I kinda promised them, I’d be singing.” He had some papers in his hand.

“Yeah, he even printed some flyers—if they bring one with them, they get it autographed in person. I’ve got a surprise planned too! Well, it all depends if I can borrow your kitchen,” Micky pleaded to Ronnie.

“I suppose so… Just promise you won’t make to much of a mess, please.”

“I can’t promise anything, but I’ll do my best.” He winked back at her and walked out, dragging Davy with him.

“Do you think I should worry about what he’s gonna be doing?” Ronnie asked Mike.

“Well his idea of cooking in the pad is making sandwiches, so that shouldn’t be too bad.”

Micky was now in the upstairs kitchen with Davy. He’d brought Gemma along to help. Vicky heard noises and came to see what was happening. “It’s okay. Ronnie said we could use the kitchen. Just get back to what you were doing. We won’t bother you,” Micky told her.

Davy sat at the kitchen table, pen in hand, autographing some of the flyers he’d had made. Micky glanced over at him. “Hey just doing some in advance. Don’t wanna tire my hand out, and my signature could be worth something to our fans in the future.”

“Oh okay. Davy, are you gonna help us or what? Go get some of the food from Gemma’s car?”

“How come I’m suddenly your slave? What happened to your last one?” Davy complained as he returned and slammed two containers of hot dogs and rolls onto the kitchen table.

“I had to fire them—they answered back and moaned too much. Don’t worry. When Dylan’s bigger, he’ll be replacing you as my right-hand man. I’m sure it won’t be that much longer before he’s taller than you… Anyway there’s still more to bring up, unless you wanna help Gemma with the potatoes?”

“No, I’m going back downstairs.” Davy departed.

“You don’t mind helping me out, do you, Gemma?” Micky asked giving her a puppy-dog-eyed look.

“No of course not. I’ll do anything to help you out. It was good of Dad to let you have the rolls and hotdogs. Shame that couple’s party had to be cancelled, but at least the food didn’t go to waste.”

“Thank him for the potatoes too! Should we have thin or thick cut fries?” Micky asked as he picked up a knife to start slicing them. He needed to keep up with Gemma peeling them.

“Thick, just like chips from back home,” Davy answered behind him. “Here’s your sauces—anything else, boss?” he asked Micky sarcastically.

“No, thank you. We’re doing fine here. Why don’t you go check on Mike and Ronnie?”

Gemma was looking through some bags and pulled out some onions. “I’ll peel some of these too. I think there should be some cheese and chilli sauce too in that box on the table.”

Micky was working his way through the cutting and slicing. “I hope they go down well. I want to do as much as I can to help, and in my opinion, food always goes down well. Stops them leaving to go off and find somewhere to eat. Makes them more thirsty too.”

“So they buy more drinks?” Gemma asked.

“Exactly! That’s right. So it boosts the bar sales. I ain’t only a pretty face. I’m smart too, and I’ve got more plans to make money and gets the crowds rolling in.”

“Well I hope everything goes well. How about I make some batter and we make onion rings too? Give the people more choice of food?” She found the ingredients and started mixing.

Davy went in to see Pete before he went downstairs, and asked Pete if he’d play the keyboards and guitar while he was singing later on, and of course Pete agreed. “Thanks, Pete. I’m looking forward to singing on my own for a change.”

After that was sorted, Davy went to find Mike, who was now behind the bar helping Christine serve drinks. There were quite a few people waiting. “You’re doing well,” Christine told him when they got the queue down. “So you gonna be running the place while Ronnie takes a well-earned rest.”

“Yeah, if she approves and we prove we can cope.”

Davy came up to Mike. “Can I have a Coke, and, Mike, I’m gonna sit over there and plan my set list. Pete’s gonna accompany me—did he bring his acoustic? If not, can I have the keys and I’ll go back to the pad to fetch it?”

“I don’t think he did. He probably didn’t think he needed it.” Mike went off to get the keys to the Monkeemobile from his jacket he’d left in the office.

He threw the keys to Davy. “Don’t be too long. I think you’ll be up before the main act, and you don’t wanna be over running and annoying them.”

Davy finished his drink quickly. “Thanks, Mike. I shouldn’t be too long.” He was soon in the car and on his way home, and back before the hour was over. He took the guitar over to Pete who was now at the bar talking to Mike.

Micky came down to let them know he was doing well with his food upstairs and it should be ready soon. He wanted something to write a menu with prices on. He decided to undercut the prices of the nearby diners.

“Do we get free food Micky? I have helped you,” Davy asked him.

“I’m not sure…all you did was carry some things up for us. Half price is my best offer. I want to make some money after all.” Christine found him a large piece of card and a marker and he made his sign.

“What time do you want to start your set, Davy? The place is starting to fill up a bit…lots of chicks too—are these the ones you invited?”

“Yeah, looks like it. Pete, come with me. I need to think of a set list. Give me ten minutes, Mike, then I’ll be ready.” He dragged Pete over to the stage to get started.

Mike was keeping his eyes on the entrance, trying to be prepared if the mystery judges decided to come tonight. “That’s the bit I’m not looking forward to,” he said to Ronnie who’d now came over to see how he was doing.

“I know. This contest is a new thing to me. Just always try to look busy and organized. The place needs to be as full as possible, with good entertainment. Micky’s food idea is good—we’ve never thought of going into bar snacks. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for him.”

“You never know with those two.” He pointed at Davy as well. “Things often can get out of hand, but at least they’ve got help with these two schemes of theirs.”

“Yeah, Mike, let’s give them a chance to prove themselves,” Ronnie replied to him.

A crowd of girls were already watching Davy, who was lapping up the attention. He went off to get ready in the restroom and get some water from the bar on his way back.

“You ready, Pete?” Pete nodded from behind the keyboards, waiting for Davy to start. Davy started with some popular recent songs, starting with _A Groovy Kind of Love_ , _Try a little Tenderness_. He went into a few Beatles numbers and show tunes, finishing off with some of the Monkees songs he did the main vocals on. _Cuddly Toy_ and _She Hangs Out_ were first, and the number of girls on the dancefloor was growing.

Davy went over to Pete and gave him a thumbs-up. “It’s going better than I thought.” His smile wide, he went into _Valleri_ , _I’ll be True to You_ and ended with the always crowd pleaser of _Daydream Believer_.

He sang for nearly ninety minutes and people seem to be really enjoying his set. When he came off stage, he had a queue of girls vying for his attention and asking him to sign their flyers. Mike noticed him giving the odd few a kiss, and also collecting quite a few phone numbers.

Micky had started selling his food near the end of Davy finishing, thinking they’d be plenty of people in and more were coming in ready for the next band.

Micky was set up near the bar with his notepad, taking orders and him and Gemma were busy bringing down fries, onion rings and hot dogs. “Pete, would you take the orders? Gemma needs to cook some more fries and I’m busy going up and down those stairs to restock.”

“Sure.” Pete pulled over a stool and started to help Micky out.

Mike and Ronnie were watching what was happening. “It’s going better than I thought,” Ronnie said. “I hope I’m gonna leave the place in good hands…in fact, I’m gonna go upstairs and start packing.”

Mike smiled at her a little smugly. “I told you we could do it. I won’t let them go over the top, sodon’t worry about a thing.”

“Thanks, Mike, for everything. I’ll be back down soon.” Ronnie disappeared to find Vicky.

Pete came over to Mike when the line for the food orders had settled and Micky was coping. “They’ve done well. You look like a proud father watching over them.”

“It makes a change, don’t you think? I think tonight’s gone better than I imagined, but tomorrow will be different as we’re gonna be playing as well.”

“I feel like I’ve not helped tonight. I need to be up early to start at the school, though. I’m nervous about that, plus I’ve got a two-hour private lesson as well, Michael.”

“So you’ll be up working while those two are still fast asleep in bed. You needing to use the car?”

“No, Vicky’s leaving her car for me to use. It’s outside—your friend didn’t find anything wrong with it, and Ronnie’s dad’s taking then to the health spa.”

“Good. Well, I’m gonna come and see them off in the morning, go through some last-minute items with Ronnie before they leave. You coming straight here after work?”

“Yeah, I finish at one and Susan’s coming around at three.”

Micky and Gemma had finished serving their food and were working out how much money they’d made after taking out the money they’d paid for the potatoes, onions, and some of the sauces. They’d quite a good profit.

Ronnie was back downstairs so he went over to see her. She was now chatting to Pete and Mike. “Here, Ronnie, I’ve made this for the club.” He handed over the cash.

She looked at the amount, and gave him half back. “Thanks, Micky. That’s your share for all the hard work you and Gemma did. It was a great idea. I think we need to do this regularly.”

“There, Mike, I said I had a good idea. I did well…well, we did brilliantly.” He gave Gemma a hug. “Thanks so much. I couldn’t have done this without you, and thank your dad for the free food he gave us.”

“I enjoyed it. I’ll help again, anytime you want, but I need to get home. I’ve got work in the morning.” She gave Micky a kiss, and said goodbye to everyone.

The club was now empty and everyone was finished for the night. Ronnie got all four of the guys a drink to thank them.

“Well I think we all did really well. You two guys really stepped up.” Mike hugged Micky and Davy “I’m proud of you.” Pete gave his widest dimpled smile to him which Mike returned. “I hope you feel okay leaving the place in our hands. Between the four of us, I think we’ll do well.”

“I’m really grateful, guys and can’t thank you enough for—”

“I’m sorry,” Davy interrupted Ronnie, “but I need to say something to all of you. It’s just gonna be the three of you running the club, I’m afraid. When I got back to the pad, I got a telegram. There’s a problem with my dad back home, and I need to fly back to Manchester as soon as possible. My family have paid for my flight, and it’s tomorrow morning”

The other three just stared at him in shock. “You go do what you need to do,” Mike answered, hoping Davy wasn’t gonna be going home to bad news.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning saw the guys getting ready for various things, Davy packing his case for his flight to the UK and Mike and Pete packing bags because they were going to stay at the club while the girls were away.

Micky was up waiting for Gemma to arrive. She’d taken some time off work and was going to be staying at the pad with him, so he was in a happy mood.

Pete was also getting ready to head off to the school for his first block of classes He’d put his acoustic in the car and Vicky’s work diary in a bag, He was nervous, but the others reassured him everything would be fine. “You’ll be great, don’t worry.” Mike gave him a hug and a quick kiss.

He said goodbye to Davy, giving him a hug, as did Micky. “Safe flight, and I’ll see you soon.” Micky hugged him and went off to make some breakfast.

“You ready, Davy?” Mike asked coming back from putting all the bags in the trunk of the Monkeemobile. “Don’t want you late for your flight.”

Pete left first and then Mike and Davy were on their way to LAX. Davy was quiet the whole journey, and Mike didn’t want to push him to talk. He knew he was feeling nervous, worried about what family problems he’d be facing back with his family.

At the airport he parked up near the terminal, took Davy’s case out of the trunk and gave it to him. “Hey, at least your room won’t be a mess with Gemma staying over with Micky. She’ll keep it tidy.” He laughed. “Safe flight and look after yourself. We’ll see you soon. Give us a call and I’ll be here to pick up up.” He hugged Davy goodbye and watched him walk over to the terminal to go check in. He gave Mike a final wave before he went inside.

Mike then set off to the Strip, arriving just in time to see the girls about to set off with Ronnie’s dad who was going to drive them to the health spa. “Listen, Mike, if you need anything call me. Ronnie is going to have a complete rest,” he said, staring straight at her.

“You’ve got everything you need, haven’t you?” Ronnie asked him, ignoring her dad. “Christine’s already here. She’s cleaning up and gonna set up the bar. We’ve filled up the ice box and cupboards with plenty of food for both of you. Thanks so much for everything.”

“Hey, don’t worry about a thing. Me, Pete and Micky will be fine. You make sure you enjoy yourself.” When they’d left, he took his and Pete’s bags and put them upstairs in the spare bedroom. He then went down to the club to find Christine.

“You need any help with anything?” he asked her.

“Set up the tables if you don’t mind. We don’t get too many people in early afternoons—there’s a few regulars but I can manage down here.”

He helped with the chairs and tables and went off to the office to start his first job, calling up some bands to come in to audition. Christine popped in to bring him a Coke.

***

Pete was at the school now, having met Mrs. Young, who he would be assisting in his first lesson. She was middle-aged and dressed very conservatory. The children, who seemed to be around the ages of twelve and thirteen, started to come in. Pete was told to give out the exercise books and she gave him a seating plan so he knew who was where.

Mrs Young started playing a classical music record and she told the class to listen carefully and continue with their notes from the previous day’s lesson. She sat down behind her desk then called Pete over and told him he would be looking after the choir class that was next on his own, and to go and sort out the music that was set up ready at the piano.

He noticed the children looked quite bored listening to the classical pieces, and knew her choices of music were probably not their taste either: _Morning has Broken_ , _All Things Bright and Beautiful_ and various other similar hymns.

In between the classes he decided to check out the piano and while no-one else was around, started to play some of the Monkees music. He didn’t notice the pupils start coming in.

“What’s that you’re playing, sir? Music for us to sing to?” a blonde girl asked.

“No, sorry. Mrs Young left some music for the choir, and I’m not sir—you can all call me Peter. That’s my name.”

“Boring hymns again,” someone said. “Can’t we do something more modern? Something we like?”

“Can we sing some Beatles songs, please? Vicky let us in our last lesson,” a boy at at the front asked. “Can you play their songs?” The boy looked over at Pete.

“Well, if you all would rather that, I don’t mind, but it’ll be better if I play the guitar instead…just let me go get my acoustic from the car.” He was back five minutes later and a few girls were now holding tambourines.

They started with some songs from the Beatles’ albums, _Love me Do_ and _Please, Please Me_ , moving onto _I Want to Hold your Hand_ , _From Me to You_ , _Help_ , and finishing off with _Yesterday_.

The children said they’d write a list of other songs for the next lesson. Some suggestions mentioned were the Mamas and the Papas and the Beach Boys. Pete hoped Mrs Young wouldn’t mind. He didn’t want to do anything to risk Vicky’s job.

While Peter was casing his guitar, one of the young girls who’d been playing the tambourine approached him. “That was groovy, sir.”

“It’s okay. Remember it’s Peter, not sir. I’m not that old.”

“Do you give guitar lessons, by any chance? I’m already having piano lessons with Vicky, but I’d love to learn the guitar. I think I might have a lesson with you this week. Mary Bright’s my name.”

Pete took out Vicky’s work diary to check. “Yeah, on Friday. I haven’t thought about giving guitar lessons though. I don’t know if I’d have the time.”

“That’s okay. See you later—I better go. Don’t want to be late for English. Thanks for today. It was good,” she said as she was leaving the room.

Pete now had a break period and went to find the staff room, noticing there was just one young woman in there in an armchair, drinking a cup of coffee and reading a magazine. She smiled at him when he walked in.

“Hello, you must be Peter, the guy covering for Vicky? Do you want a drink?” she asked him. “I’m Laura, another teaching assistant, English and Math.”

“No, I’m fine thanks, and yeah that’s me. First day here,” he answered.

“How are you finding Mrs. Young and her classical music? Those poor kids! Vicky tries to get her to let them listen to more popular music, but she’s set in her ways, doesn’t like to change things.”

“Well I’ve just had the choir singing Beatles songs. The kids seemed to enjoy that.”

“That’s good. You from around here?” she asked him. “So how d’you know Vicky? Are you and her a couple?”

“I live in Malibu near the beach. I met Vicky at an audition for a pianist job at a hotel in LA—she’s just a friend. I’m in a band that plays at the club she lives above.” He didn’t want to say anything about Vicky’s private life. He wasn’t sure what she might have told them herself.

“Which club’s that? On the Strip? I don’t really go that often, but I’d love to see your band…maybe you could invite me to your next gig.”

“It’s tonight at the Dive. You’re welcome to come along anytime. We play Saturday and Sunday nights too,” he answered her.

“I might just do that. I don’t get out much. I only moved around here in September to start this job. Vicky and I started on the same day. I like her—nice girl, but it’ll be good getting to know you. So it’s a date! I’ll see you tonight. See you soon, too. My break’s finished now.” She got up and left Pete alone in the room.

His next and final lesson of the day was helping Mrs. Young with eight pupils who were learning the recorder. It was a slow process as Mrs. Young didn’t seem to have much patience with some of them who seemed to be beginners. Pete was glad when that period was over as it meant his first day was over. He was looking forward to getting to the club and spending time with Mike until his first lesson later that afternoon.

When he got back to the club about twenty minutes later, Mike was busy seeing to a alcohol delivery that had just arrived and didn’t know how long he’d be, and he’d already had a quick lunch in-between jobs, so Pete went upstairs and made himself a sandwich.

He settled down in the living room to read through the rest of Vicky’s work diary and try to plan out his week. Between the school, private lessons, the hotel, travelling and their own gigs, he didn’t have much time to himself, and hoped Mike would be fine with that.

Mike got back to the office and filed the paperwork from the delivery and decided to go upstairs to Pete so they could get some time together. He made a coffee and joined Pete on the couch, but they’d barely had ten minutes together when Micky shouted up that Susan was here.

Micky came into the room. “The chick’s waiting downstairs for you Pete. She’s kinda cute…good job Davy’s not here—he’d be all over her.” He laughed.

“Well I’m glad you’re here now, Mick, you can help me sort out the delivery. I just cane up for a coffee and a break. Good luck with the lesson, Pete. I’ll tell her to come up.”

Mike found Susan waiting near the door to the stairs to the flat. “Go on up. Pete’s waiting for you.”

Mike stared at Micky. “How old did Vicky say she was? She’s got quite a lot of makeup on.”

“Eighteen, I think. Come on, let’s get on with this work. Gemma’s gonna need picking up soon. I need to go get the food we’ve been making back at the pad—I’ve not been slacking. We’ve been busy.”

Susan knocked on the door and walked into the living room. “Hi, I’m Susan.” She held out her hand and smiled. “I’ve brought my music that I’ve been working on with Vicky. You must be Peter. Your friends told me to come up. Are you ready to start?” she asked, taking off her jacket.

She went over and sat at the piano, put her sheet music on the stand and started to play. She was playing something easy just as Vicky had said she would. She decided to quiz Pete a little. “Have you been playing long? I’ve heard you play bass and the organ for the club’s house band.”

“I started when I was six, and started lessons at nine years old, and yes I’m in a band, thanks for asking. Do you want to try something a bit harder? The music you’re playing is more suitable for someone younger, don’t you think?”

“I prefer to start easy and move on to more complex music. Do you want to make any suggestions? Are you the guy Vicky often duets with? Could we try that later? I’d love to try something different.”

He listened to her while she played, also reading some notes Vicky had made. “So you’re taking your grade six exam soon. Have you chosen your pieces? Can I hear you play the scales and some broken chords? How’s you sight-reading? I can give you a new piece of music to test you.”

“I admit I get bored easily. I’m not keen on playing too much classical music, but that’s what’s expected, isn’t it?” She stopped playing and asked for a drink of water.

Pete gave her some sheet music and went to the kitchen, bringing her back a drink. “Do you want to have a go at that piece? Is it new for you?” She nodded and resumed playing.

Soon the lesson was coming near to the end, and Pete decided to duet with her as she’d asked. He sat on the stool with her, showed her the score, and started to play something he and Vicky regularly played. She soon joined him and kept up.

“Well, that’s the lesson over. Have you got any more with me, or will your next session be with Vicky?” He looked through the diary again.

“I’m booked in for an hour on Friday…could you maybe give me an extra lesson Saturday, too? It’s my exam next week and I want to get as much practice in as possible,” she asked subtlety, fluttering her eyelashes at him.

He wrote her name in the book for Saturday. “How about ten o’clock in the morning?”

“That’s perfect. Two hours, okay? Mom will pay extra as it’s a weekend. I’ve enjoyed today. It’s been a nice change. I’d better go—my mom will be here to pick me up. I’ll see you on Friday, Peter. Bye.”

She ran down the stairs and met her mom who was waiting in the bar. “I’ve booked another lesson with him, Mom. You don’t mind? I said you’d pay him more with it being an extra session. He’s good. I wonder if he gives lessons permanently. I’d love to swap teachers. He’s cute.”

“You’re dressed a little differently today and why the makeup?” her mom questioned her.

“Well today was different. I thought a male teacher would go easier on me, and looking good always helps when there’s a man involved. You taught me that, Mom, It works with dad.”

Micky was sitting nearby with Tina, one of the bar staff who had brought her daughter Daisy in for her piano lesson and they were having a drink while they waited. He watched Susan and her mom leave. “Come on, Daisy. Let’s go find Peter. Can I listen to you play? I’ve heard you’re really good.”

She went into the living room and sat straight on the piano stool and introduced herself to Pete, saying she’d promised Micky could stay and watch them. She started to play chopsticks straight away, going straight into some nursery rhymes.

“Vicky said Daisy was good for her age, and she’s outgoing too,” Pete commented.

“Her mom’s Tina, who works behind the bar. She’s helping Mike downstairs in the stockroom. Daisy and I here are friends now—she wants me to teach her the drums, too, don’t you?”

She nodded eagerly at Micky with a huge smile on her face. “Yes, please. Mom says I can learn them, but she won’t buy me a drum-kit.”

“They are a bit noisy though, but when you’ve finished here you can have a go on my kit that’s down on the stage.” Micky stayed until the hour was up and disappeared with Daisy afterward. He took her downstairs to wait for her dad to pick her up, and then went off to pick up Gemma and collect the food they’d made for the evening.

Pete had one more lesson to do. It was with Ben, a boy from the school earlier. Mike came up after the boy had left and Pete was making himself a sandwich in the kitchen. “It’s twenty past seven. Thought I’d spend some time with you before the gig.”

“Okay, I’m gonna grab a shower and get changed too. It’s been a busy day. How’s your day been? We haven’t had much time to talk. Did Davy get off okay?”

“Yeah, I hope things aren’t too bad for him over there. He’s gonna call us if he can, but like you, I’ve been busy. We got four bands coming to audition tomorrow. You gonna be able to listen to them with us, make a decision together?” They both went and sat down in the living room.

“I doubt it. The school want me in at half-eight in the morning. There’s an assembly and I’m needed to play the piano. Mrs. Young wants to go over the music with me. I finish at one, then I’m going straight to the hotel. I finish there at six. I’ll be home about half past.” He checked the diary. “There’re no private lessons tomorrow, though.”

“You might be in time to catch the end of the last band. I’ve got a busy day too. Those judges could turn up any time. I need to be down there and and keep on top of things.”

When Pete went into the shower, Mike went down and helped Micky and Gemma serve the food. He then started a set list, realizing he needed to change things around with Davy not being there. He decided on added a few songs he sang, so Micky could have a few breaks.

Soon they were on stage as a trio. It felt old, with one member missing. Mike sang _Papa Gene’s Blues_ , _What am I Doin’ Hangin’ Round?_ , _You Just May be the One_ , and _Sweet Young Thing_. Micky did the usual crowd-pleaser songs like _I’m a Believer_ and _Stepping Stone_.

The crowd still enjoyed them as usual. They were up and dancing, having a good time. Mike felt relaxed on stage doing what he did best.

He sang a few more songs in the second set. _The Kind of Girl I could Love_ , _Sunny Girlfriend_ , and _You Told Me_ , quite a lot more than he usually did. They ended with Micky singing _Let’s Dance On_ and _Words_ with Pete.

Gemma was there to hug Micky when he came off stage. “You did brilliantly. Micky, you did too. Mike, great songs—you were getting some attention from the girls over there.” She looked at Mike and tilted her head to make him aware of four girls at a nearby table.

They’d made a good profit with the food, but Micky told Mike he had a few plans for tomorrow as he knew that was normally a slow night at the club. He wanted to try something new. Mike was needed to finish off a few things and he helped serve behind the bar.

Once he’d finished, he went upstairs to find Pete in the bedroom reading. He’d brought up some food, which he told Pete he was gonna reheat. He came back and found Pete already fast asleep.

He decided to let him sleep. They’d both had a long day. He ate some of the supper, then joined Pete in bed, cuddling up to him. He needed to relax, but his mind was racing. _What on earth’s Micky planning for tomorrow? Should I be worried?_ He looked at his watch—it was after one o’clock and he needed to be up early. 

He soon fell asleep, dreaming about what the next day would bring and glad the first day was over.


	8. Chapter 8

Mike had woken up wondering where on earth he was. His brain wasn’t working fully yet. He turned onto his side and noticed he was alone in the big bed. He found a note on the other side on the pillow. _Oh yeah, we’re stopping over the club. It sounds noisier outside,_ he thought, climbing out of bed and looking through the window with a view of the Strip. He picked up the note. It was from Pete.

 _You looked so peaceful and relaxed asleep, so I didn’t want to wake you up. I’ll see you this evening. Enjoy your day. I kissed you goodbye though. Love you lots. Pete._

He got dressed and went into the kitchen. He needed a strong coffee, and the girls had a better machine than they had back in the pad. The pot was still hot, so Pete hadn’t left too long ago. He knew Mike so well by now, knowing exactly what he’d want first. Today was gonna be a long day

It turned out to be a busy day. A rep arrived from a new brewery to try and persuade the club to stock some new imported beers, Mike asked if he’d mind coming back next week when the manager was back, but he and Micky had some samples and enjoyed them.

Pete, too, had a very busy day at the school. Mrs. Young was happy with the choir at the assembly, and his last class was with six pupils having a guitar lesson, something Mrs. Young decided to try at the insistence of her pupils. It went down really well with the children. 

The children questioned him about the Monkees and the club. One of the boys said his sister had been at their gig last night. They asked if they’d ever have a chance to see them play. He saw Laura on his break and she said she’d watch their first set and was gonna be coming back on Saturday night with a friend of hers. She’d even brought some lunch to share with him.

The lesson went well but they ran over time and Pete had to rush to the hotel and changed into his suit. He drank a quick glass of water and sat behind the piano with barely a minute to spare.

At the end of what felt like a longer set than normal, the manager pulled him to one side to question him about Vicky, wanting to know how long she was going to be off. The new guy had gone down well and he was thinking about offering him a regular set as well. Pete told him Vicky was away and would keep him updated on her return.

Now he was late as the manager had kept him talking nearly thirty minutes. He didn’t bother getting changed, instead just heading straight back to the club. It was now nearly seven o’clock. He went to the bar to see Mike before he grabbed a shower and got changed.

Again, they hardly got any time together. Pete went to find Mike who was busy downstairs. “Hey, I’m done for the day now, anything I can do to help you out.”

“No Pete, you’ve been busy working since early this morning, you go and relax upstairs, I’ll be up when I get a chance.”

Micky had helped Mike with the auditions, but there were still some bands to see the next day so they hadn’t made any decisions yet. They needed to hear everyone first. Micky had put his idea for the night on hold and Gemma was busy so they didn’t have any food on that night, but he hid in the office writing down ideas that he was gonna talk over with Mike.

The entertainment that night was a male folk singer who Mike wasn’t impressed by, but some of the staff seemed to be paying more attention to him than working. Mike knew it wasn’t as busy as last night, but the judges could turn up any time.

He decided to call a staff meeting after the club had closed and the staff had cleaned up. He cashed up and got them all together. They didn’t look too happy having to stay late, so it didn’t go well.

***

Mike woke early. He hadn’t slept too well. Pete had been asleep in bed when Mike had finally got into bed at half past one, tired but with his mind racing. The clock on the bedside table told him it had just gone eight. He tried to remember if there was any deliveries due, but decided to get up just in case.

He started the coffee machine, grateful that it brewed quickly. The phone rang in the living room so he went to answer it.

“Hey, Mike. It’s me, Micky. Just letting you know I’ll be there at about ten. Me and Gemma are going to see her mom and dad at the restaurant—they’ve got some food for us that they’re not gonna be using.”

“Is it gonna be stinking the kitchen out? Remember Pete’s gonna be busy most of the day with the private lessons, and we’ve got more bands coming in to audition.”

“I don’t think so. I think it’s things that need reheating, and I know there’s some desserts… Listen, don’t worry about a thing. See you in a few hours.”

“You keeping the pad clean and tidy? I hope you’re not making Gemma do all the cleaning. Make sure you do your share. I’m hang up and get my coffee.”

“No. I’m helping her. She says she doesn’t mind. I’m making her breakfast now.”

“What, cereals and toast?” Mike asked him.

“Yeah! How’d you guess that?” Micky laughed.

“Mick, do you really need to ask me that? See you soon. Bye.” Mike hung up, went back to the kitchen and poured his coffee. He went downstairs to collect the post and local papers that were delivered each morning.

He sat reading them and Pete sneaked up behind him. Putting his arms around him, he bent down and kissed his cheek. “Morning, Michael.” 

Mike grabbed Pete’s hand “Morning. You want any breakfast?”

“It’s okay, I can make my own. You had anything yet? I could make us both something.” He opened the ice box and took out some butter and eggs. “Scrambled egg with toast okay?”

“Yeah, thanks. What time’s your first lesson? You got a busy day? Any chance you can sit in on any of the auditions later.?”

“Susan’s due at ten for an hour and a half; one boy after her, then three children together for two hours…not sure how that will work out. I’ll try my best and should be finished about three o’clock.”

“You should be able the catch the last two bands then. Things have been a bit hectic, don’t you think? I don’t know how Ronnie runs the club so well. It’s hard work—I’m shattered.”

“I know what you mean. It’s like one thing after another covering for Vicky. I think she does too much. I’m barely getting a minute to myself, and we’re not getting chance to have much time with each other.”

“Yeah, past two nights I’ve come up to bed in the early hours and you’ve been fast asleep.”

Pete started to make the toast and Mike wrapped an arm around his waist. “We need to try and make some time for ourselves this evening. Jacob’s running the bar, so I’ll see if I can spend a few hours up here with you”

“Thanks, that will be nice. I’m sure we can find something to .” He winked at Mike. He plated the toast and started to scramble some eggs. “You wanna get the salt and pepper, Mike?”

Mike did as Pete asked and sat down at the table. Pete put a plate down in front of him and sat beside him with his breakfast. “Thanks, Pete.”

“I’ve got lessons tomorrow too but nothing planned for Sunday. Maybe we could get outta here for a few hours, just me and you, spend some time away from everything. How about lunch and a movie? My treat. Vicky’s making me keep the money from the lessons.”

Mike looked at his watch. “It’s just after nine—your first pupil will be here in about an hour. Micky’s gonna be here around ten as well, so we’ve got a bit of time on our own now…you wanna go back to the bedroom for a while?” He winked at Pete.

Pete got up and took Mike’s hand, pulling him up. “Come on!”

They were soon undressed and on the bed, Mike lying back with Pete on top, kissing down his chest. Moving down to his navel, he blew and put his tongue in it, causing Mike to shiver and giggle. He placed a hand on Pete’s head. “Go down a little farther, babe.”

Pete listened and moved down to pay attention to Mike’s growing erection. He licked the precum from the slit and took the whole of Mike’s length in one smooth action. Mike gently began thrusting in and out. He felt the back of Pete’s throat. They hadn’t had much action in a few days and he knew he wouldn’t last too long—Pete was giving him too much pleasure. Mike pulled out the tip of his dick at Pete’s lips and Pete gave Mike a big smile and started to lick around the head.

 _God, he’s so good at this. I’ve never had head as good as Pete gives me from anyone else before._ “S’good babe, you know exactly what I need. God, I love you so much.”

Pete moved his mouth farther drown and back up again, dragging his tongue up the underside of Mike’s shaft. He then began to tenderly lick and suck Mike’s balls, using one hand, and with the other slowly stroking Mike’s dick.

Mike felt his climax building and getter closer and Pete was just about to take him in his moth again, when suddenly there was some banging at the door at the top of the stairs. Someone had come up from the club. He pulled away from Pete and sat up. Grabbing his pants from the floor, he put them on quickly along with a T-shirt.

“Michael, they could have waited a few minutes.” Pete looked over at him. “You nearly—”

“Pete, I’m sorry, but the door’s not locked—anyone could have walked in on us. I better go and see who it is. Might be best if you get dressed.” Mike then left the room and went to the door to see who was behind it.

He opened the door to a young woman, who smiled at him. “Hi, I’m Susan. I’ve come for my piano lesson with Peter—is he in? I know I’m early, but I didn’t think Peter would be busy or mind. The guy downstairs in the bar let me in and told me to come up here.”

Mike looked her up and down, He’d only had a brief glance the other day, but again she had on quite a bit of makeup and was wearing a very short tight-fitting mini dress, “Just go through to the living room and I’ll let him know you’re here. Do you want a drink?”

“Could I have a water please?” she replied.

Mike went back into the bedroom where Pete was still lying on the bed. “I thought you were getting dressed? It’s Susan, here early for her lesson. She’s waiting in the living room. I’m gonna get her a glass of water, get a quick shower and go downstairs—sounds like Jacob could be in the bar.”

“Shame, I thought it could have been someone you could’ve got rid of. I’d better get up then. Sorry about this. It’s only just gone half-past nine too.” Peter stood and kissed Mike.

Mike took Susan a water. She was setting her music up at the piano. “Thank you. Are you gonna be here for the lesson as well? I thought it would be just Peter and I…is everything okay?”

“No, I’m gonna be down in the club.” He was wondering why she’d asked that when he had left the room and was stripping to climb into the shower. He needed to take care of something, cursing Susan under his breath for turning up early. _This will have to do for now, but god I can’t wait to get Pete in bed later_. _He’d better stay awake tonight._ Dressed again afterward, he went downstairs, finding Jacob behind the bar.

“Morning, Mike. Was it okay sending the chick up? She said she was here to see Pete. I’m surprised you didn’t stay upstairs with her, I think the kid’s got a crush on Pete—she’s got herself all dressed up for him too.”

“What makes you think that?” Mike asked.

“You don’t have a teenage sister, right, so you won’t recognize the signs. The look in the eyes when they’re talking about a guy… She’s so into Pete. Here.” He opened a bottle of Coke and passed it to Mike. “Hey, don’t worry, Mike. You trust Pete, don’t you?”

“Yeah I do.” He went to the office, but thought about going back upstairs. He knew the signs when a chick was flirting with him—in the past it used to work a lot too. He was disturbed from his thoughts by Jacob walking in.

“You’re worried aren’t you Mike?” He said to him. “Come on, Pete wouldn’t be interested in someone like her. He’s only got eyes for you.”

Micky came into the office, interrupting the two of them. “Hey, guys. What you up to? What’ve I missed?” He looked from one to the other.

“Pete’s upstairs with a young girl who’s dressed to the nines and it looks like she’s got a major crush on him. I’ve been trying to explain to Mike here how Pete won’t be interested. He probably won’t even have an idea what she’s up to.”

“Who’s that, the chick from the other day?” Micky asked.

“Yeah, and I ain’t worried. I trust Pete, okay? Just forget about it and let’s get working. Jacob, should you be busy cleaning the bar?”

“Yes, boss, I’m on my way.” Jacob left the office, shutting the door behind him.

Upstairs, Pete had started the lesson with Susan, who was playing one of her exam pieces. “I was wondering if you’d be willing to teach me permanently? I mean I like Vicky, but she’s not as good as you. I understand you better. What do you think?”

“I don’t do private lessons, though, and even if I did, I couldn’t steal one of Vicky’s pupils. That wouldn’t be right. You should stay with her—she’s just as good as me.”

“Well, would you be willing to teach me the guitar, maybe? I want to study music in college next year, and knowing how to play another instrument would help.” She stopped playing and stared at him, pushing the hem of her dress up a little to show some more of her legs.

“I’ll think about it, I suppose, but I’m not making any promises.”

“My mom will pay you well. You don’t need to be loyal to Vicky…is she your girlfriend, or do you want her to be?”

“Susan.” Pete stopped going through some sheet music. “Vicky’s a friend, a really good friend, that’s all. I won’t go behind her back.”

“Ah, okay, no problem.” She started to play again, concentrating on the music. “Will you be able to go with me to my exam on Tuesday afternoon? Vicky was going to support me.”

“Let me just check her diary…you’ve got another lesson on Monday afternoon, and there’s nothing in here for Tuesday, but I’ve got a shift at the hotel. I’ll need to see if my friend can cover that, and if he says yes, I’ll come with you.”

Susan stopped playing, and came over to Pete and hugged him “Thanks!”

“I should know by tomorrow. I can let you know then.” Pete put the diary down and sat on the piano stool. “Have you ever tried just making something up as you play? Have a go—it’s fun.” Pete started to play a random tune. Susan came and sat beside him and took over, so he stopped and let her continue to play on her own.

“Excuse me a second.” He got up and left the room, passing Micky on his way out. Micky was going into the room to look in a bag he’d left in there. He pulled out a notebook.

Susan looked over and smiled at him. “Hi, you’re in the band with Peter, aren’t you?” she asked him.

“Yeah, Micky. I sing and play drums. We’re playing here tomorrow and Sunday night—why don’t you come see us play? Bring some friends.”

“I can’t. I’m only eighteen—nineteen next month—there’s not many places I can go see bands. Do you mind if I ask you something?” Micky nodded. “Do you think Peter likes me? I’m trying to let him know I’m interested in him, but he doesn’t seem to notice.”

Micky looked a little puzzled, trying to think of what best to say. “He’s kind of your teacher, isn’t he, so wouldn’t that be awkward? It wouldn’t look good, don’t you think? I better get back downstairs, got work to do.”

“So you reckon that’s why he’s said no to taking me on as a pupil? I asked him if he’d teach me piano and guitar, but he said to stay with Vicky. I get it now! Thanks for that. It all makes sense now.” She smiled brightly and went back to playing.

Micky looked at her. “He’s with someone, and it’s pretty serious too. As in, long term and they’re really happy.” He heard her sigh as he left the room. He passed Pete on the way out but didn’t say anything, not wanting to panic him.

Micky ran down the stairs and found Mike at the bar with Jacob. “I’ve just been talking to Susan. She does like Pete—she asked me about him.”

“See! I told you she liked him!” Jacob interrupted Micky.

“Okay, okay I get it. But she’s only a kid, and I trust Peter,” Mike replied, looking at them both.

“Yeah, I don’t think he’s any idea about her feelings, so I wouldn’t worry about it, Mike. But she’s given me a brilliant idea…just something she said to me. I reckon I’m onto a winner here! Trust me, Mike, this is what the club needs!”

Mike didn’t know what to worry or think about first, the teenage chick with a huge crush, or Micky with his latest big idea. Thank god he was at the bar. _I need a drink to take this in,_ he thought. Jacob seemed to sense how he was feeling and passed him a bottle of beer.

“I know what you’re thinking. I can see your mind working overtime.”

 _Yeah, which problem’s gonna be easier to deal with, and which one is gonna affect me the most?_ He drank the full bottle of beer in one go and sighed.


	9. Chapter 9

Just over an hour later and the club had four teenagers waiting downstairs, Susan, waiting for her mom to collect her, and three guys who’d just been dropped off by their moms for their lesson which wasn’t supposed to start for about three quarters of an hour.

“It’s like this a lot with their parents. Some mothers treat it like a creche, leaving the kids here to wait. Vicky’ too soft to say no. Those three…well, the two blonds are brothers and the other one, always arrive together. Their moms drop them off, give them money for sodas, then go off shopping together. Vicky seems to teach quite a few rich kids from that private school she works at.”

“I remember her saying Susan was a spoilt rich kid,” Mike replied.

“Wait to you see her mother! She married to a much older guy—you’d think he was Susan’s grandfather! They’re both used to getting their own way.”

Susan kept checking her watch and came over and asked for a soda from Jacob. “She’s late again?” he said to her.

“Yeah probably giving Dad’s card a hammering. She’s having a dinner party tomorrow night and says she needed a new outfit, and dad won’t say no to her.” She smiled back at him.

“Women and shopping…tell me about it. I hate going shopping with my sister—takes her ages to decide what to buy. I’m just glad she’s made some new friends who now go with her.”

“Hey, Jacob, can I ask you a question?” Susan asked.

Mike walked over to them with a drink for himself and Jacob and sat down with them. Susan just smiled at him.

“Yeah, go ahead?” Jacob invited.

“I’m going somewhere with a guy on Tuesday. It’s not a date…but I wanna ask him out afterward. How do I get him interested in me? I’ve tried dressing like this”—she indicated her makeup and mini-dress—“but he doesn’t seem to notice me at all, and I really like him. He’s not like the guys I usually date.”

“Might be best to leave things how they are, if he doesn’t seem interested.” He stared at Mike. “What do you think? Do you agree with me?”

“Yeah. Who’s the guy you’re interested in?” Mike wondered if she’d tell them.

“Peter, but your other friend said he was with someone. Do you know the girl? Shame he’s not available, but relationships don’t always last, do they?”

“I know his partner well and it’s serious. They’re kind of engaged.” Mike looked down at the ring on his finger. “They’ll have been together a year next February,” he said happily.

“Okay—” She didn’t get chance to say much as a woman came up behind her. “Sorry I’m late, Susan. I couldn’t decide what to buy, so I bought three new outfits.” She looked over at Jacob and gave him five dollars. “This should cover her drinks and you can keep the change. Thanks as usual.”

“No problem, Mrs. Richards,” he replied.

“We need to get your father to get you a car, then I don’t need to drive you everywhere.”

“Mom, do you think he would? How about he picks me up after my lesson tomorrow and we go and look for one? Did you buy me anything?”

“You don’t need to go looking—your father’s friend can sort you something out. And yes, I bought you a new dress for your exam and booked you a hair appointment too. You need to make a good impression. Come on, let’s go. Goodbye, Jacob.”

Susan got up and left with her mom.

“See what I mean? The chick always get what she wants. One good thing—I always get a good tip from the mother. I sometimes get ten bucks.” Jacob laughed.

A group of guys came in and came over to Mike, one of them saying they’d come here to audition. Mike told them to set up on the stage and he went to find Micky. “You gonna come and listen to these groups with me, help me decide who to pick?”

“Sure” Micky picked up his notebook and followed Mike to a table. He looked over at the three teenagers waiting. “You lot bored? Do you like music?”

“Yeah, of course! Who doesn’t? We’re here for piano lessons, and learning the guitar soon—we’re even thinking of starting up a band with our friend, who’s a drummer.”

“Would you come to a club that has music and evenings just for kids your age?”

“Of course, man, that’d be so cool!” one of the other boys said. “Can we watch the band now or do we need to wait elsewhere?”

Mike came over. “You can stay there. Just be quiet. Come on, Micky, what on earth are you on about? Why you asking them what you just did?”

“It’s just something Susan said to me. Teenagers get bored. I know from growing up in LA. All the clubs cater for other eighteens or over twenty-ones, depending if they have a liquor license.”

“Yeah I know. It was like that back home in Texas. So what you suggesting? Look, keep it to yourself for now—we need to concentrate on finding a band for Ronnie.”

The band had only been playing for around ten minutes when Pete’s pupil came down and told the others to go on up to see him. Mike let the group do another number and told them that was enough and they’d get back to them.

When the next band was setting up, Mike got him and Micky a drink. “Didn’t think too much to them. The singer’s pitch wasn’t too good.”

“Well not everyone can sing like Micky Dolenz. Don’t deny it. I sing the most in the band. You write more songs that suit my voice. We’re so much better than them. Let’s see what these next guys are like. How many more after this group?”

“Only two more, and we got just over an hour in between these and the next band. One of them’s a group of four chicks. They sound quite good, I’ve heard.”

“So they could attract a different kind of crowd. I mean, _we_ get the chicks in. Just thought, would Davy work his way through them? Shame he’s not here to see them. It’s odd without the little guy around. I hope things aren’t too bad at home for him.”

“Well he hasn’t called and there’s the saying no news is good news, so hopefully that’s true and he’s enjoying his time with his family,” Mike said.

“Davy could also try and chat Susan up, take her mind and eyes off Peter. I know shes not blonde, but I doubt that would bother Davy—she’s got everything else he likes, and in all the right places.”

“Mick, please stop going on about Susan. I don’t wanna be picturing her and Pete together. We’re gonna have to have a chat later. I bet he doesn’t even realize she’s got a major crush on him—you know what he’s like. He’s no idea how good-looking he is.”

Micky laughed. “You getting a little jealous, Mike, worried someone’s gonna try and steal Pete away from you? Come on, man, you need to stop thinking like that. Pete loves you, and no one else.”

Mike didn’t have time to answer Micky as the band were now starting on their first song. After listening to a few more numbers, Mike and Micky decided that the band was a little too country for the kind of crowd that frequented the club, but Mike gave them the number of the western bar farther down the Strip, suggesting they try there.

“Well, we’ve got a break now, so I might get an early lunch. You hungry, Mick?” He gave Micky some money. “Go grab some food from the diner, and get something for Pete too. His lesson shouldn’t be much longer. I’m gonna go see how he’s doing.”

Mike went upstairs and opened the living room door. “How’s things going? Mick’s gone to get some lunch—you got much longer of this lesson left?” He saw the young guys looked a little bored.

Pete went over to Mike. “No, we’re more or less finished now, but the kids aren’t getting into it. They hate the classical pieces and don’t want to play things like that. Kids want different things these days, but the exam board expects everyone to play standard pieces, the same stuff I was learning when I was younger, so I understand what they mean.”

“Yeah, aren’t you in a rock band? You don’t play this kind of rubbish. Hey, we all play guitars too—maybe we could have some of the lesson learning them?” the oldest of the boys came over and said.

Mike looked at the three boys and then at Pete. “Come on down. Our kit’s down there, and you got an acoustic here, right, Pete? Go grab it—the kids could jam with us. You up for that?” Mike said to the kid.

“Definitely,” he answered, looking at his brother and friend. “That would be groovy! Thanks a lot.”

The three pupils followed Mike downstairs while Pete got his acoustic and joined them in the club. Micky was already sitting with the youngest of them, showing him some drumbeats.

“Never played a twelve string before,” one of them said to Mike. “I’m James, that’s my brother Jack trying the drums, and he’s Paul.”

Pete passed over the acoustic to him. “Here, try this. Do you wanna have a go on the bass?” he said to Paul, who nodded enthusiastically. Pete proceeded to show him a few chords and he slowly started to pick it up.

“Hey, I like this! Can you teach some bass in the next lesson, if Mrs. Young lets you?” Paul asked him

“I can ask her, but you know what she’s like. She prefers the acoustic guitar. I don’t want to push things too far, and I’m not gonna be there much longer. I can sort you some sheet music out so you can learn at home, though? I’ll bring it on Monday.”

Micky had brought some flyers back from the diner, and now went over and grabbed one. “Hey, look. There’s a music contest for kids! Why don’t you form a band! Can any of you sing? You’ve already got a guitarist, and it looks like the bass and drums shouldn’t be a problem for you.”

“We’d need a singer. How about your sister? She’s in the choir at school,” one of the brothers said to Paul.

One of them took the flyer from Micky.

“I’ll help you if that’s what you want to do. How about after school? I’ve only got one lesson on Monday, if you all want to come back here and bring your singer,” Peter suggested to them.

“You mean it? You’d all help us out.” Micky and Mike nodded in unison. “That’s groovy! Are you two up for it?” he asked the other two boys, whose wide smiles gave away their answer.

The kids played for a while. Mike joined in with his twelve string and Pete took to the organ, Micky picking up the tambourine and maracas. They played a few Beatles covers.

After they’d finished, Micky got them all together. “How about we arrange an evening here just for teenagers? There’s the back room, where you kids could play. This was the idea I had, Mike, what I’ve been making notes on. I heard Susan saying there’s nothing or nowhere for them to go to enjoy live music. Pete, Mike, what do you think? Can I try it out, maybe tomorrow night before the regulars come in?”

“All right… I don’t know if I’ll regret this but yeah you can try it. Maybe just a few hours like five until seven? That’s fair enough, but you plan everything though, and the bars closed—only sodas to be served.”

“Thanks, Mike! I got an idea for another night as well, but that can wait for now. I think it’s good though. It should go down well, get people in, make the place busy.” Micky went off to get his notebook to start planning again.

They had to stop playing as the next band had arrived for their audition. Mike went over to talk to them and tell them were they could set up. Jacob brought drinks over for the three boys. “Here you go. Your moms left some money with me. They’ll probably be here soon.”

Micky followed Jacob over to the bar. “This regular? You say their moms just leave them here?”

“Yep, they get used to it, and Ronnie doesn’t mind.”

Micky went back over to the kids. “You can watch some of this audition too. Do you do much else apart from music?”

“We have quite a few after-school activities. Baseball, football, language lessons… Music is the best, though. I think our moms want us out of the way at times. We’re cousins. It’s cool hanging around here with you guys. You really thinking of having an evening for teens?” 

“Yeah, you guys can help me with some ideas if you want. It’s best to ask what you want.” Micky took out his notebook and had a good chat with the three boys, all of them making suggestions until their moms turned up to pick them up. The boys looked like they’d rather have stayed longer but they managed to convince their moms to bring them back the next day.

After they’d left, Micky joined Mike and Pete listening to the band who were quite into their third song. Mike asked them to play a few different styles or even try some cover versions. The band didn’t seem too keen on that, but Mike explained he needed to see everything they could do.

Soon the other group turned up—four young girls who came and sat at a table to wait. Jacob came over to see if they wanted to order any drinks. They politely declined and watched the band who were still playing on the stage. They set up when the other group packed up. They didn’t have a drummer, just guitar, bass, keyboard and one girl uncased a banjo. Mike noticed Pete’s happy reaction to that.

They started on their first song. The keyboard player sang first, and each girl sang a number as they went through a set. Their style was varied, some folk songs, country and even a little popular music.

“They’re good,” Micky shouted to Mike.

“Best so far,” Mike agreed. “What you think, Pete?” Mike already sensed Pete would agree with him—he couldn’t take his eyes off the chick playing the banjo. “Babe?”

“They’re really good. I think Ronnie would like them. Their sound is tight. That’s the first chick I’ve seen playing the banjo and she’s really good.” Pete went back to watching them. The girls played a Stones song next, then moved onto a Beatles number.

“I reckon these are the best. I’d choose these over the rest we’ve seen. They look pretty good too, get more guys into the club,” Micky said to Mike, still busy writing in his notebook.

Their set soon finished and Mike went over to talk to them. He explained he would talk things over with the manager when she returned from a break, and said they were the best they’d seen and if Ronnie agreed, they would get two nights a week regular slots.

The guitarist, who seemed to be in charge, shook Mike’s hand and thanked him. Pete sat with the banjo player, discussing instruments. and he started to play her banjo. The singer looked over too and smiled.

“They seem to be getting on. She’s single, too, and so am I, if you’re interested.” She winked, still holding onto his hand. “Or is it okay if I ask you on a date? I recognize the Texan accent. I’m from Oklahoma.”

Micky was talking to the keyboard player. “You sound good without a drummer. That’s what I play. Us three are in a band called the Monkees. We play here three nights a week.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ve seen you play. Our group gives me a break from my boring job at City Hall. It’s tedious, but my dad got it me. He works for the mayor.”

“Do you know anything about club licences and permits? I’m trying to organize some evenings for teenagers, somewhere they can come to have fun, play music… Some kids Pete’s been teaching started playing like a proper group today, and I wanna help others like them.”

“I can get you some information. I’ll ask my dad, see what he can do. I’d have loved something like that. It sounds so cool.” She wrote down her phone number and gave it to him. “Call me. I’m thinking of coming tomorrow night—you gonna be playing?”

“No not tomorrow. It’s a bit hard as one of the band’s away at the moment, and we’re helping run the club for the manager and I’ve got a surprise planed for tomorrow night. Be good to see you here.”

Micky didn’t notice that Gemma had arrived and was at the bar getting a drink. She was also watching the two of them. “How long’s Micky been with her?” she asked Jacob.

“They’ve only just finished playing so only about five minutes, I’d say. Go over and let him know you’re here.” He passed her a glass of Coke. “You want anything else?”

“No, thanks. He hasn’t even noticed I’m here. He’s too interested in her! I’ve a good mind to go and pour this over his head or just leave.” She stood, still contemplating what to do next. Mike saw her and used it to get away from the guitarist. He stood. “Excuse me. I just need to go over and talk to Gemma, Micky’s girlfriend.”

He met her halfway as she was sneaking up behind Micky. She was just about to tip her drink over him, so her grabbed her hand. “Hey, Mick, have you seen who’s here?”

Micky turned, stood and gave Gemma a hug, then pulled out a chair at his side. “Sit down. We’re just talking about permits, for an idea I’ve got for the club. We won’t be long and then I’m all yours.” He leaned over and kissed her on her cheek.

Mike looked down and smiled at her. He decided to leave them alone and go see what Pete was chatting to the other chick about. Mike sat on a chair beside him. He didn’t get much chance to talk to him when he heard the front entrance door slam open and a well-built guy followed by a screaming chick stormed in.

Mike stood up and got in the guy’s way, stopping him in his tracks. “Hi, how can we help you? I’m Mike, the temporary manager.

“Yeah, I know you and your band. I can see two of the others here with you, but where’s the short British Romeo? I wanna see him now! Get him for me—my fist and him have got things to deal with!”


	10. Chapter 10

“Hey, calm down.” Micky came over to join Mike in front of the well-built guy. The young chick behind him was trying to pull him back. “Davy isn’t here.”

“I wanna know where that little limey is—unless you want to see my fist close up, are you gonna tell me or what? You don’t look so tough to me,” he shouted, grabbing Micky by his shirt and pulling him closer to him.

“Please, Alan, don’t hurt him—he hasn’t done anything wrong,” the chick pleaded with him. “Let him go. I’m sorry about this.” She looked around at everyone.

“He ain’t here. He’s in England,” Mike said, trying to remove the guy’s hands from Micky.

“Listen to him, Alan. Can we just leave, please?”

“No, Mary we ain’t leaving. They’re his friends so I bet you’re lying and he’s hiding in the back or upstairs.” He pushed past Mike and Micky and went to look behind the bar.

Jacob stopped him getting behind it. “There’s no one allowed back here. Only staff and as you can no doubt see, I’m the only one working here now.”

Alan retreated a little, going back over to Mike and Micky. “All right, he ain’t here, but you can pass a message on from me. I want him to stay away from my wife. Mary, come here.” The chick walked nervously to him. “He’s been seen sneaking around my house while I was away doing basic training, and I want him to stay away. You get that?”

“No worries. We’ll let him know when he gets back,” Micky answered.

“I don’t wanna leave her on her own—we ain’t been married long, got hitched to avoid the draft, but it didn’t work, but I’m home for a while so I’ll be keeping my eye out for him. Tell him I’ve got a shotgun, too, and I’m not afraid to use it.”

He turned around to Mary, who looked a little scared. “Can we just go home, please, Alan? Nothing happened, I promise you. Like I told you, my sister stayed over a few nights and he was with her.”

“Well, Mrs. Harris next door told me she saw him leaving early a few mornings, and she never mentioned anything about Katherine.”

“She wouldn’t have seen Katherine leaving with him, now would she? He left on his own! She’s just a gossip who likes to cause trouble and you know that.” She took his hand and tried to reason with him.

“She saw you outside, though, just after he’d left—that doesn’t look too good, wouldn’t you say? Like you were watching him leave.” He glared angrily at his wife, who looked embarrassed.

“Okay, we’re leaving, but I’m gonna be keeping my eye on you guys and this club, and I know what car you all drive too. If I catch him around my house, I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

He grabbed Mary’s hand tightly, turned and went out of the door.

“That was interesting… Davy’s lucky he wasn’t here. One of these days his luck’s gonna run out.” Micky laughed and shook his head.

“You think that’s why he left the country quick? That guy was big,” Jacob said. “I think I’ve seen them at your gigs before—she’s been down at the front of the stage on her own too.”

“Davy’s a pushover for a pretty face too, and he wouldn’t want his own messing with. I’d try and get away as far as possible too,” Micky answered, straightening his shirt that Alan had had a hold of. 

“We can have it out with him when he gets back. He hasn’t even rung here yet—has he called the pad, Mick?”

“No, Mike, but I’ve not been there a lot, and I’ve been busy when I am. But I’d think he’d call here first—he knows we’re gonna be here most of the time. You asked Pete?”

“No. I’ll check with him later. I just need to get the band situation sorted out first.”

The chicks from the band were now sitting at a table together, and Pete was on the stage, playing Bach on his keyboard. Mike went over to talk to the group, noticing the banjo playing was watching Pete out of the corner of her eye.

“So, okay, when would you want to do a trial set? We could offer you Monday or Tuesday next week. What’s best for you?” he asked, looking in Ronnie’s bookings diary.

The girls had a short discussion and decided they’d accept Tuesday night.

“We’ll see you then. Is they anything else you need to ask?”

“We haven’t even introduced ourselves,” the guitarist commented. “Sorry about that! I’m Faith; my sister Eliza plays banjo; on bass is Tracy and keyboards is Alison. We call ourselves Fate. We thought using our initials was a cool idea. Also…how about a double date? You, me, my sister and the blond guy from your band?”

“I’m afraid we’ll have to turn your kind offer down. We’re both with someone and we’re very happy with them. There’s only one single member of our band and he’s off in England visiting his family.” Mike looked over at Pete.

“Never mind. You can’t blame a girl for trying, can you? Men don’t always have to be the one doing the flirting and asking someone on a date. But don’t worry, I won’t say anything else. It’s nice to see a guy who isn’t tempted to cheat. Your girlfriend’s a lucky girl.”

“Thanks. You’re welcome. Yeah, I love them too much to think of straying.”

Pete had now come over and sat beside Mike. Eliza leaned into him and whispered in his ear, “Ignore my sister—she just seems to be determined to pair me up with any random guy! She doesn’t seem to understand I’m happy being single.”

“It’s okay. You shouldn’t force things on people. I agree with that. I waited until I found the right person. It took a while, but it was really worth it,” Pete whispered back to her.

She turned and caught the look Mike was giving the two of them. “Oh, you and Mike are together! I understand. No judgment from me. I just hope you’re happy and he treats you right. You can tell from the glances how much he loves you, though.”

“Thanks. I love him too, but I think he gets a little jealous at times. We both have insecurities, but we work through them the best we can.” Pete smiled, looking over at Mike.

“I don’t want to rush into things. My ex wasn’t the best. He put me down and made me feel bad about myself. Faith’s just trying to help, I guess. She means well, but I’m just not ready yet.”

“You don’t need to do what other people want you to do. You’ll know when you’re ready and you meet the right person. Like I said before, it’s worth the wait. Things happen for a reason. I liked Michael when I met him, but I had no idea that he’d ever feel the same way about me.”

Faith and the other two girls got up. “Are you coming with us, Eliza? We’ve got a party to go play at.”

Faith shook Mike’s hand and said goodbye to the guys.

Mike came over to Pete. “Faith asked if you and I wanted to double date her and her sister. I saw you two seemed to be getting on well, but I told her we weren’t interested…unless you are?”

“No, there’s only you for me. You should know that. We were just talking music and she told me Faith keeps trying to set her up with guys, which she doesn’t want. I told her we were a couple, and she was cool about it. You don’t mind me saying anything, do you?”

Mike shook his head and took Pete’s hand. “Of course not. You are aware too that Susan is hung up on you, right?” Mike laughed.

“What! No! I thought she was just being over friendly! Oh my god, I really had no idea. I haven’t led her on. You trust me, don’t you? I’m like her teacher.” Pete looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a car, the shock obvious on his face. “What should I do?”

Micky had joined them by now and was listening to the conversation. “Act like a strict teacher. Be tough on her. No one would like that. I remember the bossy teachers at school. One of them used to throw chalk at me. I did get easily bored though, and I tried to make the lessons fun.”

“I can imagine you were the class clown, Mick. I bet you annoyed all your teachers.” Mike laughed.

“Ha-ha. Anyway, Pete, I told her you were with someone. Of course I didn’t mention Mike, but I don’t think it entirely put her off. She might see you as a challenge. Jacob said she was spoilt and always gets her way.” Micky pulled the two of them over to the bar to talk to Jacob.

“Well you can’t help if chicks fall for you, Pete, but I do trust you. Don’t worry about that for a second,” Mike said, staring straight into Pete’s eyes. Noticing no one was around, he took his hand and pulled him in for a kiss.

“Thank you, Michael.” Pete wrapped his arms around Mike, hugging him tightly.

“I think Susan’s gonna turn into her mother. She’ll use her money to help her get her own way. I think she’ll want a rich guy, not an out-of-work musician. Pete, just show her you aren’t into material things. Be the opposite of her—it might put her off you,” Jacob suggested, looking to see if the others agreed with him.

Gemma came over and asked Micky if they could have a word in private. They went over to a table. “Listen, Micky, I’m really sorry I jumped to conclusions. I just get a bit jealous when I see you with other girls. It’s more _them_ I don’t trust. Do you forgive me?”

“Yeah, it’s okay. Remember my last girlfriend cheated on me—I couldn’t do that to anyone. We were just chatting. I’ll go through everything with you later. I hope you’ll help me with my plans.”

Micky went and grabbed some pens and paper from the office and sat down with Gemma. “I’m gonna hold a teen day tomorrow! Kids can come to listen and play some music. We can use the back room, shut the bar up… Come on, we need to get some flyers done! We’ve got some profit left from the food to get them printed.”

“Okay! I’ll ask Dad if help us. He’s stocking up at the wholesalers today, so I’ll ask him to get us some burgers, potatoes, onions and anything else that kids will like, so we can provide a snacks which will keep them here longer.”

“Brilliant! You’re not just a pretty face! Between us, this should go well. I told the three guys who were in earlier to tell their friends, but I haven’t told Mike yet.” He looked over at Mike and Pete who seemed to be deep in a discussion.

Micky and Gemma went over to them. “We’re heading off out for a while, getting a few things organized for something I’ve got planned. And don’t worry Mike—it’s a good idea which should bring in a crowd. Let me surprise you. Just give us a chance. I won’t let you or the girls down.”

“I’m helping him, Mike, and I won’t let him do anything over the top, I promise. It’s a great idea, so please trust him for once.”

Micky gave Gemma a hug for showing him her support.

“All right then, but if it goes wrong, it’s all on you, and you can explain everything to Ronnie.”

“Thanks, Mike, you won’t regret it! It’s a brilliant idea and it won’t go wrong, I promise you. Come on, Gemma. We’ll be back before it gets busy, so see you two later.” Micky and Gemma were soon leaving.

“I really wonder if I’m gonna live to regret this, Pete? Hopefully Gemma’s influence will calm him down. You think I’m being too paranoid?”

Pete just laughed. “You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t worry about Micky and Davy. I just wonder what kind of time Davy’s having with his family, or has he just run to escape that guy and his wife he’s been messing about with?”

Jacob came over to them. “Sorry to disturb you, Mike, but there’s a guy here wanting to see the manager. Do you wanna deal with him or shall I try and get him to return when Ronnie’s back?”

“I’ll be over to talk to him in a minute. See if he wants a drink? And can you get me a Coke, please? Pete, you go upstairs. Hopefully this won’t take too long.” They both got up and Mike went over to chat to the guy who was now at a table near the bar.

“Hi, I’m Mike Nesmith, the temporary manager. How can I help you?”

The guy held out his hand and Mike shook it. “Well, Mike, I’ve got a proposition for you. I want to meet with the owner if you can arrange that. I’m thinking of investing in a club and I’m very interested in the Dive… Is the female manager going to be around soon?”

“She’s away on a break right now. She should be back in a few days. I can call the owner, but if you want to go over any details with me before I speak to either of them?”

“Well I know there’s a few clubs being judged for a competition on the Strip and let’s just say, I know a few people involved in making the final decision. I can see this place getting more popular, but it needs some help… Nothing wrong with the current manager, but I’m sure things could be improved.”

“Okay, so what do you think this place needs?” Mike asked.

“Let me introduce myself. The name’s Tony Cohen, and I work with a few other partners. We manage bands. I can get some new talent into here for you. I’ve got a group who’s on the verge of recording their first single and album. They need a place to play and I’m sure the crowd here would love them.”

“We already have a house band, and are trialing another group in a few days. I’m in the house band and we’ve got an agreement with Ronnie. What kind of music does this band play?”

“They’re more like the Stones than the Beatles. They write their own music. I’ve got a tape recording here if you want a listen.” He pulled a box out of his briefcase.” You got something I can play it on?”

“I think it’s best you come and let Ronnie hear the tape. I’ll let her know and you can arrange a meeting with her and her father who’s the club’s owner.”

“I can leave her my business card. I think they’ll like what they hear. So you’re in a band too? I’ll come one evening you play and check you out. I’ve moved here recently and I’m only just getting used to the place. I’m from the East Coast.” He put the tape back in his briefcase and gave Mike a card.

“I’ll pass this onto her and get her to call you. Is there anything else you have ideas on?” Mike asked.

“Do you have anything that makes you stand out from the rest of the clubs around here? I saw a western-style bar, but a lot of them all seem very similar.”

“The group we’re trialing next week are a four-piece all-girl band, in a folk style—you don’t see many bands like them. And one of our band’s singers is British. Our style is a bit of a mix, just like where we’re from, LA, Texas, the East Coast and England. We write our own songs and try to be different from everyone else you might have seen lately.”

“Okay, I’ll talk to the manager and arrange to come in. I might surprise you at any time just like the judges.” He picked up his briefcase and stood, extending his hand again. “Goodbye, and thank you for your time.”

Mike was just seeing him out when he felt someone brush by him, and followed the person back into the club. “Hey there, what’s your rush?” he asked the chick who turned around and stared at him.

“Oh, sorry, is Davy Jones here?” she asked him. “You’re one of his band members, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, we’re in a band together. What’s wrong? Your husband’s not here with you again, is he? Don’t you remember earlier we told you Davy’s gone visiting his family?”

The chick looked confused. “Listen, I understand if he’s hiding, but I really need to talk to him urgently. It’s really important, so please get him for me?”

“He really isn’t here. I’m sorry, but he flew out to England a few days ago. He’s in Manchester, and definitely not here. I can give him a message when he calls, but that’s the best I can do.” 

“I don’t know what to do. I really need to think about this. I do need to see him. Can you just let him know I was here and it’s very important that he contacts me as soon as he can?” She suddenly turned around and was running to the front door, leaving just as quickly and abruptly as she’d rushed in.

Mike walked over to the bar where Pete and Jacob were chatting. “That was odd—did you just see that Mary chick? It was like she’d forgotten all about being here earlier.”

“What did she want?” Pete asked him.

“Wanting to see Davy. It’s like she thinks he’s hiding away somewhere! She seemed a little confused, too, when I mentioned her husband. I really want to know what Davy’s been up to.”

Pete laughed. “Come on, Mike, you think that we’ll ever be able to keep up with Davy’s love life?”

“No, it’s like he’s on a mission to date every chick in the state,” Micky said, catching their conversation. “It was bound to get him in trouble one day, so he’s run away and left us all to deal with the fallout.”

“The angry husband too. I’m gonna kill him when he gets back. There’ll be nothing left for that Alan guy to get a hold of.” Mike sighed and downed the glass of whiskey that he found in front of him. “I hope he calls us soon…”


	11. Chapter 11

Mike was woken by the phone ringing loudly at about eight thirty the next morning. He pulled on a T-short and managed to get to it before it stopped. “Morning?” he said, still tired and needing a cup of coffee.

“Hey, Mike it’s me, Davy! Sorry I’ve not called earlier. Things have been busy over here.”

“It’s not quiet over here either! We’ve all been working non-stop with the club and everything else. You got any idea when you’ll be coming back.”

“I’m not sure yet. I want to spend as much time with Dad and my sisters as I can. Lynda’s just had a baby and I’m seeing my other nieces and nephews. It’s been a while since I’ve seen my family, Mike.”

“I know it is. I don’t see mine that often either. But…was your family the only reason you flew back home so quickly?”

“Yes. Why are you asking that? Has anything happened? Mike, you all okay?”

“Yeah, we’re all fine. Like I said, things are busy. It’s tiring, working long hours every day. Pete and I are hoping to have a chance to spend some time together tomorrow. He’s been busier than me and Micky with the school and private lessons in the apartment.”

“I wish I could be there to help you out,” Davy answered.

“We had a few visitors here yesterday…some chick came looking for you with an angry husband too. Is there anything you want to tell me, anything we need to know, Davy?”

“What? I don’t know what you’re on about! Oh, Dad’s shouting me. Sorry, I need to go—we’re off to a football game. I’ll call again when I get chance. Say hello to Pete and Micky for me—bye for now.”

“Davy…what—” Mike didn’t get chance to ask or say anything else as Davy had hung up the phone. Mike didn’t notice Pete coming into the living room until he wrapped his arms around him, pulling him tightly to him.

“Morning, Michael.”

“Morning, babe. You want some breakfast?”

“Yeah, I’ll come and help you make something. I’ve started the coffee brewing for you. Who was on the phone?” Pete asked as he moved closer to kiss Mike.

“Davy. I didn’t get time to question him much about that Mary chick. I think he sensed something—he quickly made an excuse to hang up when I mentioned that she’d been here looking for him with her husband.”

“That doesn’t sound too good. So you think he lied about why he left? But his family paid for his ticket so they must have needed to see him for some reason.” Pete opened the ice box to see what they could use. “There’s some bacon for you and I’ve found some tomatoes and mushrooms. I might just have scrambled eggs and toast. Let me make your breakfast.”

“Thanks. That sounds good. You want a drink of tea?” Mike looked at his watch. “I wonder what time Micky will get here. He’s probably still in bed, though, knowing him.”

Mike made the drinks, got some silverware out and sat at the kitchen table. “What have you got on today, babe?”

“Just a few piano lessons. Susan and another girl, a thirteen-year-old called Anna. Susan’s due at half past nine, then Anne at eleven thirty for an hour, and after that I’m free. You’ll probably be busy then, so no chance to do anything, but there’s always tomorrow, isn’t there?”

“Yeah we don’t open until about six, so I’m sure we’ll find something to do.” Mike smiled at Pete.

“Just having some time to ourselves is enough for me. We can stay in bed longer if you want,” Pete answered with a sneaky wink. “Would you pass me a few plates, please?”

Mike went to the cupboard and found some plates, which he put on the side for Pete to transfer the food onto. “Here you go—your breakfast’s ready.” Pete came over with both of their food, putting Mikes down in front of him.

“Thanks. You sure that’s all you’re having? You gave me quite a lot here.”

“No, I’m fine, Michael. You’ve got a long, busy day ahead of you. I’ll make us some lunch when I’m done. You can come up and have a break, and afterwards I’ll clean up and come and help out.”

“I don’t know how the girls do this day in day out, and it’s only gonna get harder for them as their pregnancies go on. We need to convince them that they’ve gotta get more help.”

“I know. I’m tired with the school, the hotel and these private lessons, so I don’t know how Vicky does it. They need to make time for each other too. I’m sure you’ll agree with that, because we’re not managing that very well, and when we do, we’re too tired to do anything.” 

“I sure know that feeling. Least Micky’s got Gemma stopping at the pad with him. We definitely need some us time tomorrow. That’s a fact. Don’t you agree?”

Pete nodded his response. “Yeah. We need to always make sure that we make time for each other, no matter what. Just some me and you time, in the pad or going out somewhere. This experience has taught me that.”

“No taking each other for granted. You know how much you mean, how special you are to me, Pete. That’s something I’ll never doubt,” Mike stated, taking hold of Pete’s hand across the table.

“My feelings about you are the same, Michael. When the girls are back, I want to make the most of every minute we spend together. I know we’ll still want to help Vicky and Ronnie out, and help them when the babies are born, but you’re the most important thing or person in my life.”

They heard people coming up the stairs and soon Micky and Gemma had joined them in the kitchen, both helping themselves to a cup of coffee. “Morning, guys,” Micky said. “Well, I’m all ready for this afternoon. I know there’s gonna be about twenty or more kids turning up.”

“I hope you’re gonna deal with everything. These teen events are your baby,” Mike said, getting up to refill his coffee.

“I will. The guys from the other day are telling all their friends, but I don’t think it’ll get too rowdy or out of hand—the kids just want somewhere to go to have a good time with their friends. I know exactly how they feel. I’d have grooved on this kind of thing at their age.”

Pete stood up. “I’ll leave you all to it. I need to go snd prepare for Susan’s lesson. She’ll be here soon.” He gave Mike a hug and kiss, then left, heading for the living room.

“Micky are you gonna get the food we’ve brought out of the car? I’m sure it will fit on the table and worktops ready for later.” Gemma tried to encourage Micky to get up to help her.

“We’re okay cooking up here, aren’t we, Mike? Some things just need heating in the stove. We shouldn’t stink the place up. Gemma will be doing most of it.”

Gemma turned around and coughed at Micky. “Don’t you mean I’ll be _supervising_ you? It’s all your idea, so you’re gonna be doing the bulk of the work! Just because I’m a female it doesn’t mean I spend all day in the kitchen. I’ve got you an apron too and some of Mom and Dad’s menus.”

“Okay, sorry. Thanks. That was just a figure of speech. I’m grateful for any help you give me.” He looked at Mike and rolled his eyes. Mike just shook his head at him and laughed.

“I’m gonna go and go through some paperwork downstairs, so I’ll leave you two to your work, and, Micky, I think the apron will suit you. I think I can hear someone knocking on the side door.” Mike went and found Susan on the other side of the door.

“Oh, hi, Mike, isn’t it? Is Peter ready for me? I know I’m a little early, but I want to be ready for my exam on Tuesday. Peter’s giving me another lesson on Monday and going with me on Tuesday as well for support. I’m nervous about it and he seems a very calming person.” She smiled at Mike and moved by him to climb the stairs.

Micky brought all the food from the car upstairs. He wanted the evening to go well and knew he couldn’t do it without Gemma’s help, so he decided he’d keep her happy. Soon they were preparing everything for later.

Micky was glad when the phone interrupted them after about thirty minutes. James, one of the pupils from the other night, was on the other end. “Great news! We’ve got about thirty or more teenagers coming—hopefully more if our friends pass on the message.”

“That’s groovy! We’re getting some food ready and there’s plenty of soda and juice behind the bar. You think you and the guys wanna play tonight? Did you persuade your sister to sing?”

“Yeah, she’s coming and mad keen for it. She’s bringing her boyfriend and some other chicks too. Thanks for doing this for us, Micky. Everybody’s so grateful for this, to have somewhere to go out to.”

“No problem, James, see you soon.” Micky hung up and went back to see what Gemma was doing and what she needed him to help with.

“Here, Micky, you can chop the onions. We’re gonna make some burgers. I think they’ll go down well.” She passed him a knife and pointed to the onions.

Micky shouted Susan over when he saw her about to leave after her lesson. She agreed to come that evening and bring along some of her girlfriends. Micky also rang Coco, who also said she’d be there to support and help him.

Soon it was nearly time to get the back room set up as there was only about twenty minutes before the kids would be starting to arrive. Mike and Pete had brought the instruments through and Micky started to assemble his drum kit.

Coco and Christine arrived together. Mike had called and offered her an extra shift to run the back bar, and she’d offered to make some fruit-punch to sell to the kids. Coco was going to help her. She went looking for Micky first, who was now back upstairs finishing off the food preparation.

“Gemma, you’ve certainly got him trained well! You need to share your secret with me—Mom could never get him to do much at home! How’s things, big brother?”

“Hopefully everything will go well. I’m fine but a little nervous. Thanks for coming. You gonna help?” He encouraged her to join him sorting out the bread for the burgers and hot dogs.

“I’m going back down to help Christine. I thought I’d just come up to say hello.” 

She passed Mike on his way to the office to grab the phone that was ringing. He picked it up to hear a familiar voice on the other end. “Ronnie.”

“Hi, Mike. I just called to see how everything’s going.”

“You weren’t supposed to be contacting us, remember? This is supposed to be a break for you away from the stress and day-to-day dealings of this place, so I ain’t saying a word.”

“Oh, okay… Well, how are you guys? Are you and Pete managing to get some time together? I know Vicky’s work schedule was pretty busy. Is he coping with it?”

“We’re all fine, yeah. Pete’s busy, but I won’t go into details—you ain’t finding out any work-related stuff for Vicky either! Now, just go and relax and make the most of your time together.”

“All right! You can’t blame a girl for trying. We’ve got a massage in the spa soon. It’s so nice and peaceful. We’re both calming down and having a good time. Hey, you and Pete should come here together if you ever get the chance. My dad’s friend runs it—I could pull some strings.”

“Sounds like you’re having a good time. Is Vicky there with you?” Mike asked. _Sounds somewhere me and Pete could enjoy some time away from the others, just the two of us._

“She’s having her hair done. I just had mine cut too.”

“So you thought you’d try and find things out while she’s not around to hear you. I bet she’s no idea you’re calling us,” Mike guessed.

“True! You know me too well. Sorry! Mike, you’re definitely a tough one to get anything out of. Well, I trust you with everything, and we’ll see you all in a few days. Good luck and thanks again. Bye.”

“Bye, Ronnie, and no more trying to call us.” He hung up just as Pete walked into the office.

“It’s starting to smell a little upstairs, with all that cooking. I thought I’d come and see what you’re up to. Who were you talking to?” Pete pulled up a chair and sat beside Mike.

“Ronnie—she was trying to see how were doing, but I never told her anything.”

Pete laughed. “Susan said Vicky called her yesterday and was asking her to ask me how things were going! So they’re both being sneaky,”

Christine popped her head around the office door. “The kids are starting to arrive. Coco’s gone upstairs to let Micky know, to see if he’s ready.”

“Thanks. We’ll be out in a minute. You all set up?” She nodded her reply. “Come on, Pete, we better get out there to support Mick and make sure there’s no problem.” 

They met Coco on her way back. “Micky says there’s a fifty cent cover charge for the kids and they get two tickets for soft drinks. He’ll be down in a minute. He wants me to sort the tickets out. Oh, they’re gonna be using the side entrance—he’s putting me a chair and table there now.” She went off to find her brother.

Christine was behind the bar with a bar tender who was protesting about coming in early and that wasn’t here to babysit children, and was complaining he’d be missing out on tips.

“You’ll be back in the main bar when this is done with and it’s a few hours’ extra pay for you.” She was trying her best to convince him to be happy about it.

Mike saw a group of teenage girls come in and head straight for the restroom. They came back out about ten minutes later, changed into mini skirts and dresses all with fresh makeup applied, and one even cheekily winked at him as she walked by to a table.

“I’m not sure about this,” Mike said to Christine and Pete when they were all at the bar.

Quite a few more kids turned up. The boys were in surfer clothes and jeans and tees. The women’s bathroom seemed the busiest place, with most of the girls coming back out transformed and looking older than their teenage years.

Christine laughed. “I bet their parents have brought them, and god knows what they’ve told them to get permission to come! I remember telling my folks so many lies to get out of the house.”

Micky joined them, looking around at the crowd that was in the room. “Cool! The turnout’s better than I thought. It’s gonna be a good night. I’m think I’m gonna do a speech and welcome to the first teen night. I’ve thought of a groovy name for it too.”

He walked over to the stage and picked up a microphone. “Hello, everyone, I’m Micky and I want to say thanks to everyone for coming to the first and opening night of …” He pulled out a poster he’d made. “The Wave Club! I hope it becomes a regular event,. We’ve got James, Jack, Paul and Joanne who are gonna start the evening off with some music.”

James and the rest of his band came on stage and started playing some cover versions. They soon had the other kids up dancing. Susan and the winking chick from earlier approached Mike and Pete.

“Hi, Peter, and Mike, isn’t it? This is my friend, Tracy…she likes you, Mike, if you know what I mean… Do the two of you want to come and join us, and if you can we could go somewhere afterwards if you’re not busy? We’re both eighteen and not kids like these.” She indicated everyone else.

Mike gulped and looked at Pete. “I’m gonna have to politely refuse your offer. I can’t leave—I need to be here for the rest of the night. Sorry about that. And I wouldn’t cheat on my partner either.”

“Me neither, and I’m your teacher, Susan, so it would be wrong,” Pete said, looking straight at Mike.

Susan and Tracy decided to go and get a soda and some food and left the two of them alone.

After the band had finished playing, Micky and another guy took turns to play some records, people were still on the floor dancing. Pete went over to James and the group and gave him a flyer. “I heard about a band competition for young local bands. I was wondering if you’d be interested—we’ll help you out, won’t we?” he said to Mike, who was now near him.

Jack looked at his brother and sister. “I’m up for this if you guys are. Paul, do you agree?” Soon everyone one had decided to go for it and Pete arranged for them to come to the club on Monday after school to start practising.

The food and fruit punch went down well. Micky seemed quite pleased with himself and how the evening was going—there was plenty of dancing, and some of the kids had coupled up and were getting friendly in different parts of the room.

Gradually parents arrived to pick up their children. One mother complained to Micky about only junk food being served, her Bobby only had healthy food and drink. Coco had to stop a fight between two young girls who were fighting over a couple of boys on the dancefloor.

Mike got accosted by a woman who noticed that her two daughters had changed their clothes and one had a hickey on her neck—she demanded to know what kind of club this was, before she dragged her screaming and complaining girls away.

Micky nearly got himself a black eye when he tried to pull two boys apart who were arguing about a chick who’d been flirting with the both of them. She didn’t even seemed bothered, deciding to leave with another boy instead.

Another mother was shouting at her daughter for telling her that she’d been coming to a music class, that she was dressed too slutty and to go and wipe the makeup off her face, and that she was grounded for at least a month.

Soon all the kids had left and after a clean-up, the club was getting back to normal, and a group Ronnie had hired for the night, so the guys could concentrate on running the club, were starting to play for a crowd on the main dance-floor. Coco said goodbye and left after they’d all thanked her for her help. Mike and Pete sat down to have a minute, and Gemma, who’d been having a drink, came to sit with them.

“What do you think? Was the evening a success? I know Micky was hoping everything would go well… The kids looked happy.”

“Apart from a few problems, it wasn’t too bad. I’m not sure if Ronnie will be rushing to hold another teen night, though. Mick will have to try and persuade her. I’m keeping out of it,” Mike said to her.

Suddenly Micky came running into the room in a panic, screaming to the others to come upstairs and help him. He ran back into the kitchen followed by Mike, Pete and Gemma, Mike was the first to notice the smoke and smell coming from inside.

“Oh my god, Micky, what on earth have you done now?” Mike grabbed the fire blanket off the wall. “Pete, Gemma go and get the club evacuated—I better help Micky put out this fire.”


	12. Chapter 12

Mike woke up and headed to the kitchen to brew the coffee. Despite all the windows being open, he could still smell the remnants of the fire Micky had accidentally caused last night. Mike was the one who’d rescued the burning pan of fried onions from the stove, thrown it into the sink and tried to calm down a screaming and panic-stricken Micky.

Luckily, there was no damage anywhere, just the lingering smell of smoke which at least should be gone by the time Ronnie and Vicky got back home. The clubgoers hadn’t been too happy about having to evacuate the building they’d just took their drinks outside with them and waited, Mike hoped this wouldn’t cause too much trouble, but at least it had only been for about ten minutes and then everything had been to normal. _Well as normal as they can be,_ Mike thought, still nursing a slight headache.

He had a quick shower while the coffee was brewing and when he’d finished, Pete had already poured him a cup and made himself some tea. “Morning. You okay? Last night didn’t end well.”

“Much better now, babe. We need to get Micky to buy a new fire blanket, and I think it best not to say anything to the girls. He feels bad enough as it is, and Gemma and Coco have promised to keep him out of the kitchen tonight.”

“Apart from that, the kids seemed to have a good evening. Lots went away happy and hoping this would continue, and he did make a profit.” Pete found some aspirin and got Mike some water.

“Thanks, I need these. So glad it’s Sunday—no work until about six tonight. So, what do you think we should do? What are you up for?”

“I’m not sure. We could get some lunch and go somewhere…”

Suddenly there was a faint knock at the door and a white handkerchief was waved around it. This was followed by Micky’s head peeping around it. “Hi, can I come in?” he asked nervously.

“Yeah, get that ass of yours in here. You didn’t cause too much damage, but you owe the girls a new frying pan and fire blanket. You better replace them before they’re due back,” Mike said to him.

“I’ve got help with me again, and I won’t do any cooking today. I promise to stay out of the kitchen.”

“Hi, guys.” Annie and Gemma appeared behind him with bags of food in their arms. “I offered to come and help. I’ve left the twins at home with Christine, and I’ve already done quite a bit of preparation at home in advance. Christine told me what happened last night.” Annie said.

“That’s good to hear. Me and Pete are gonna be off out soon—Mick, you can do some clearing up and tidying downstairs. Get everything ready for whatever you’ve got planned for this evening.”

“No problem, Mike. Annie’s made Swedish meatballs for tonight and there’s enough for us all for dinner too, so don’t eat too much while you’re out, otherwise I’ll have to eat your share because they smell amazing.”

“Annie, is that Gran’s recipe? I haven’t had them in years. You’ve got to try them, Mike. I know you’ll love them.” Pete started looking through the bags that had been put on the table.

“Peter, stop rummaging! I’ve made a meat-free alternative for you, don’t worry, but you’ll have to wait until later to try them. You two go out and enjoy yourself. Me and Gemma have got everything planned. Micky remember to bring the rest of the things up.”

Micky nodded and headed back downstairs. “You need to let me into your secret of how you get him to do what you ask first time,” Mike asked the girls. “Either of you want a coffee?”

“Yes, please.” Annie answered and Gemma nodded. “Any of you had any breakfast? I’ve brought some eggs, sausages, mushrooms, bacon and pancake mix.”

“Sounds great,” Micky said as he came back in putting some boxes to one side. “Everything’s out of the car now.

“You don’t need to always cook for us, Annie—we can manage to feed ourselves,” Mike told her.

“I like cooking, Mike, so it’s no problem at all. You guys have been busy all week. Christine says you’re doing well though.”

“No, Mike, don’t argue with the girls—you’ll never win in a row with a female.” Micky laughed, thinking of growing up with three sisters and his mom. “It’s best to let them have their way.”

“Okay, Annie, Gemma. Thanks for the kind offer,” Mike replied, moving over to let Annie start.

She looked to see what was in the ice box. “Ooh, tomatoes…you want an omelet, Peter? Gemma, will you check if there’s any bread to toast, please?”

Soon the guys were sitting at the kitchen table, eating up large plates of food. “’S’great this—thanks to the cooks.” Micky said before filling his face with a forkful of bacon and pouring some syrup over his pancakes. Gemma and Annie joined them with their smaller portions.

“Glad you appreciate it, Micky. I’ve brought some things to fill the freezer so the girls have got things in for when they get back. I got busy doing a lot of baking yesterday afternoon.”

“She’s filled ours too, for when you both get home. I’ll do the dishes.” Micky collected the used plates and went off to the sink.

“You can do this more often back at the pad. Davy too when he gets back. I hope you’ve been cleaning up while we’re not there as well, and not expecting Gemma to do everything.”

“No, Mike, I’m doing my bit. Our bedroom’s tidier than ever, and I even cleaned the bath out after I used it,” Micky added as he was filling the sink with water.

“You should stay over at the pad more often, Gemma, you seem to be a good influence on Micky. Pity we can’t find anyone to encourage Davy to do more chores around the place,” Mike said, looking over at Gemma.

“I’m gonna go and get my jacket—you want to get off soon? Can we stop at the music store? There’s a new record I’d like to get,” Pete asked Mike as he was leaving the kitchen.

“Don’t worry, I won’t cause any more accidents. I’m being supervised by these two. Mike, you and Pete go off and do something—get away for this place for a bit. You could always go to the pad and have some alone time,” Micky said with a cheeky wink. “Go on, go, unless you wanna help me get ready for tonight? Fingers crossed it should be another good night.”

“All right, just behave! Girls, please keep any eye on him. See you later,” Mike replied.

Soon they were both in the music store, scouring through the racks of records. Pete had two put to one side already. Mike noticed one was a UK import, a Beatles album, but couldn’t find anything that interested him so went to look at the instruments that they stocked. They’d got a few new guitars in since he’d last been there.

He picked up some guitar strings, something he and Pete always needed. He even decided to get Micky a new set of drumsticks. He paid for them and waited for Pete, and saw there was a new notice board up by the counter so decided to see if there was anything of interest on it.

He saw some of Micky’s flyers. One was for the variety night that was planned for this evening. Mike was hoping this would go well and without any of yesterday’s late incidents. He wrote down some details of possible gig opportunities. He saw Vicky’s ad about her piano lessons.

Pete came up beside him when he’d finished and checked out his records.

“You ought to think about offering lessons, the organ, piano, guitar, bass and banjo maybe. It’s something you do well—look how good you are teaching Davy the bass, and you enjoy it too,” Mike suggested.

“I’ll think about it, but I wouldn’t want to steal any of Vicky’s pupils. She’ll need to keep earning as she gets further on in her pregnancy—she won’t be able to work at the hotel and school for much longer.”

“Okay, I won’t push it, but just think about it. The cash would always be useful.” Mike knew best to leave it for now. Pete would think about it when he was ready.

Soon they’d left the music store and were in the Monkeemobile “So where d’you wanna go next?” Mike asked Pete.

“There’s a craft and farmers’ market on today. It’s just about a ten-minute drive away from here. Could we maybe go and have a look around that? Do you mind, Mike?” Pete gave Mike his biggest dimpled smile, knowing full well Mike wouldn’t say no to him.

“Okay, babe. I read about it on the store’s notice board too.” Mike started up the car and they set off.

Soon they were walking together up the aisles of various stalls, as close as they could get. Mike saw a couple of chicks in front of them holding hands. _Why is it so easy and acceptable for them to be able to do that? They look just like two friends, and no one seems bothered at all, but Pete and me… I so wanna take hold of his hand and show to the world, hey I’m here with the guy I love, my partner, but no, that will never be accepted in public. Well, hopefully one day_

He followed Pete to a jewellery store, where Pete was soon looking through the various trinkets and items available. He picked up a peace symbol on a cord which he bought, putting it over his neck.

A young girl was looking at a brooch and trying to see in the vendor would sell it her for less than he had it priced. She was only fifty cents short, but the guy wouldn’t budge. Mike watched as Pete gave her the money to make up the amount.

Pete came back over to Mike. “Pete, how’d you know the kid wasn’t lying? She could have been pushing her luck with that guy—you’re far too trusting of people.”

“Michael, I think she was being honest. You need to believe not everyone lies.”

Mike just shook his head, deciding not to say anything else, but he watched the girl and her friend move to another vendor where her friend did exactly the same, and an elderly man nearby gave her a dollar to buy what she wanted. Pete hadn’t noticed this—he was too busy looking at some second-hand books at another stall.

Pete rejoined him after purchasing some books. “Is there anywhere you want to look? I want to get some?”

“No, I’m happy to go anywhere you want. I’m just enjoying being able to have a break from the club and spend some time with you. Let’s go find your fruit.” Mike pointed over at a woman who had a fresh produce stall.

“Look at this—it’s so much better than what you get at the grocery store. It’s a lot fresher. Let’s get enough to leave for the girls when they get back.” Pete said picking out bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, peaches, and a pineapple. “I’ll make up a nice fruit salad for me and you.”

“Okay, babe. Hey, look at this stall—do you need any incense?” Mike asked Pete, trying to get them away from a woman who was glaring at them and talking to another about dirty long-haired hippies.

“Oh yeah.” He picked up his purchase and was with Mike in a few minutes, asking Mike if he had any preferences about fragrances. Pete choose a few packs and got some cigarette papers as well. “We can leave now if you want. I’m sensing you’re feeling uncomfortable here.”

“Thanks, Pete.” Soon they were back in the Monkeemobile. “Shall we go get a drink, find a little diner nearby here?”

They found a small place just down the block and sat at an empty booth. Mike ordered some Cokes and took a deep breath. “I was feeling okay there, babe. It’s just I worry about you.”

Pete stared straight at him with a surprised look.

“People seem to take advantage of you. The chick at the jewellery stand for instance—her friend did the exact thing to another guy afterward! I know you like to see the good in everything, but not everyone out there is like you. You’re one of a kind, my unique, perfect Peter, and I love you for that reason.”

“I love you too, and I’m sensing there’s a but,” Pete replied, looking puzzled.

“Sorry, but you need to stop giving in to people, letting them have their way. Micky and Davy do it with you too—we need to toughen you up, even a little.”

A waitress came over with their drinks and menus, and Mike let her know they wouldn’t be needing them, that they were just having drinks.

“I can’t be like you, though. It’s just not me,” Pete said to Mike.

“I don’t expect you to. You just need to learn to say no to people at least. Annie does it too. The thing is, weaknesses can be noticed and used against you—you both like to please other people more than yourselves.” Mike took a long gulp of his soda.

“I understand what you mean. I’ll try in future, I promise. I do find it hard to say no. I guess it’s how I was brought up—none of us could say no to Dad. He was tough on us, expected too much, and I felt that I always had to please him.”

“He’s not here, though. You need to live your own life and I’m gonna make sure that you do.”

“Okay. I’ll do that for you Michael.” Pete squeezed his knee under the table.

“No, Pete, not for me. You need to be doing this for yourself.” Mike sighed. “Listen to me. You’re the most important person in my life and I love you for who you are, but I know you can do this.”

Pete was nervously twisting and staring at the ring on his hand. “I’ll try my best, for both of us. I love you too. I know I can be a little soppy at times as Davy calls it.”

Mike laughed, thinking of Davy’s English expressions. “Yeah, he can be confusing at times.”

“And you need to stop thinking that people are always out for themselves, and learn to trust more. And talk about your feelings more. Be honest about what’s on your mind and your feelings. Remember what nearly happened with Amy? I thought you wanted to get back with her. We can both help each other change for the better. Do you agree with me?”

Mike thought for a while how his stubbornness to not tell Amy and him and Pete being together could have made matters worse. _I never want to go through anything like that again._

“All right, we both have our faults and our different ways of seeing the world, so we’ll have to start meeting in the middle. They say opposites attract, and we couldn’t be any different from each other in so many ways, but we work well together though.”

Pete nodded. “We do. What do you want to do next? You think we should get back and help get everything ready for this evening? I hope everything goes right for Micky.”

Mike finished off his drink and called the waitress over for the check. “Yeah, good idea. At least Annie and Gemma are there, keeping an eye on him and making sure he stays away from the stove and any accidents.”

They were soon back in the car. Mike decided to call at a club to see about an ad that he’d seen on the music store noticeboard. He said he shouldn’t be long, so Pete waited in the car for him. 

Mike came out of the club in a good mood. He was happy, having got them an audition and when they got to The Dive, he was surprised to see Micky had worked really hard and it looked clean and ready for people to start arriving. Micky had set up the stage for people to perform.

He sneaked up behind Micky, who was at a table, making him jump. “Hey, Mick, you’ve done a good job! The place looks great. Are the girls still busy cooking upstairs?”

“Thanks. I’m not just a pretty face you know. Yeah, they’re refusing to let me in the kitchen with them, both of them insisting I stay down here, but it smells good.”

They all worked together and got everything else ready for the evening. Coco turned up to help as she’d promised Micky last night, and they all went upstairs to have an early dinner.

“This is so good,” Micky said, after finishing off the last mouthful of his mashed potatoes and meatballs. “Is there anymore left? I could eat more of this.” Annie took his empty plate, refilled it, and put it down in front of him.

“Anyone else want anymore?” she asked the others. “Before Micky finishes off the leftovers?”

“I can’t help having a healthy appetite. I’m still growing. You’ve made some of these to offer people tonight, haven’t you?” Micky asked Annie.

“Yes, so you can also take home anything you don’t sell. There’s fries to cook, burgers, hot dogs and I even made a vegetarian version—did you enjoy the cheese, potato and onion balls, Peter?”

“Yeah, I put one on Mike’s plate for him to try too.” Peter smiled at Mike.

Mike stood to clear the used plates and load up the dishwasher. Micky was the only one left eating. “The dinner was great, thank you, girls,” he said.

“Well I’m glad you all enjoyed it. I’m gonna head off home soon. Christine might be getting tired having the twins all day. Dylan is getting to be a bit of a handful. He’s even trying to crawl. Summer seems to prefer sleeping, and she’s quieter.” She started to pack up her purse.

“Mike and I will come over and have them for a day, if you two want to have a break.” Mike sat beside Pete. “We’re gonna need some practice. We could even have them overnight too.”

“Thanks for the offer. We might take you up on that. You all right with that, Mike?” Mike stared at Pete and nodded to Annie. “Bye, guys, see you soon.”

Later on, Jacob had set up the bar in the club downstairs and opened up. People were starting to arrive. He popped into the office to see Mike. “Seems to be quite an older crowd turning up tonight. Let’s hope Micky’s variety plan goes down well. A few have already asked about performing.”

“I know. He’s put a lot of effort into this. I reckon he’ll be up onstage himself as well, singing or doing a comedy turn. Push the food if you can too. There’s some menus behind here for you.”

Micky came out and stood behind the microphone. “Hi, everyone, welcome to The Dive’s first variety night, where the acts are you! It’s open mic night, so if anyone wants to sing, come and see either me, Mike over there by the bar, or Pete who’s here and able to accompany you on the keyboards or guitar.” He pointed over to them.

Micky started the night off with a mixture of his Jimmy Cagney impressions and a few jokes to try and encourage the crowd to offer to come up. Gemma came up to Pete. “I’m gonna sing and support Micky, and surprise him too.” She sat at the bar with Mike until Micky announced that they had their first singer.

Gemma went and stood beside Micky, holding her hand out for the microphone. “It’s me! I’m gonna sing and maybe we could do a duet together later!”

Pete started strumming _These Boots Are Made for walkin’_ on his guitar _._ Gemma started singing along, and Micky stared straight at her in shock, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, he’d never heard her sing before, he and Mike looked at the reactions of members of the audience, unsure of what any of them were going to do. He hoped she wouldn’t scare the crowd away.

All he saw was a lot of surprised faces


	13. Chapter 13

Micky couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He stared first at Mike in disbelief and then at Pete who was standing beside Gemma. Gemma eventually caught his reaction, and Micky didn’t know what he was going to say to her. He looked to Mike for some support.

“She’s your girlfriend, Micky, you need to be honest and tell her the truth, but just try and be gentle with her.” He patted Micky on his shoulder and pushed him forward as Gemma finished singing.

Micky nervously approached the stage, took the microphone from Gemma, and introduced the next act. A guy came up on stage and started to do some impressions.

Pete came up to Gemma while Micky was still on the stage. “Hey, you did your best. It’s hard to get up and sing in front of a crowd for the first time.” Pete did his best to be tactful with her, and stayed with her until Micky pulled her over to one side.

“Gemma, I’m sorry to say this…” He paused for a minute and tried to make a joke of it “You can’t sing. You’re tone deaf, and it was so bad.”

“I guess that means you don’t want to do a duet with me. I was thinking we could have done _I Got u You, Babe_.” She did her best to sound serious.

“No, if that’s okay…you don’t mind, do you?” He managed to keep a straight face.

“It’s okay. I understand—I sing as badly as you cook.”

“What? I can cook! People were eating my food yesterday.” Micky looked shocked and a little upset.

“No, Micky, I had to redo most things…your food’s lousy. You’re being honest with me, so you deserve the truth from me. I’m sorry. I still love you though, and you’re a brilliant singer.”

“And you’re a great cook! I guess we should stick to our strengths. I’m proud of you for getting up on stage, having a go and supporting me. I couldn’t do any of this without your help. Thank you.”

She took hold of his hand. “I’ll go back upstairs and start heating everything up. You do your best to sell the food—we want to make a profit, and look, it’s getting busier.”

Micky noticed quite a large group of people coming through the front entrance. Things started to improve and more acts came up to perform. Right now, a guy was juggling. He had offered to do a knife act but couldn’t get a volunteer to be his assistant.

The juggler got a little angry when Jacob wouldn’t let him use bottles from behind the bar for the intended finale to his act.

They had to refuse a chick who inquired about doing a fire eating set. Mike wasn’t sure if she’d set off the sprinkler system.

Later Mike had to pull the ventriloquist off the stage as he was being heckled. Pete had made Mike watch for a while even though he didn’t want to, but the guy’s lips were moving so much, it was hard to miss.

Micky ended the comedian’s act early as he was drinking while telling his jokes and they were getting worse as the act went on. He really hoped the acts would start to improve soon.

Pete got talking to a guy who’d come in with the crowd of people earlier, and found out he was a tour guide showing a group around LA and that, their mini bus having broken down around the corner, the driver had suggested they come in here to wait until the bus was fixed.

The food was going down well with them at least. Peter explained the situation to Mike but didn’t have the heart to tell Micky the truth. It was best to let him think the crowd had just come for the variety night because they’d heard about it and planned to.

The singers on stage varied. Some were good, some were bad, but the audience listened and didn’t boo too much. Micky went over to Mike while a guy from the tour group was singing some Frank Sinatra songs with another guy on the keyboards, giving Pete a break.

“Sorry about this, Mike. I doubt Ronnie will be up for another night like this. I did think it would go well.” Micky looked really disappointed.

Mike put his arm around his shoulder. “You weren’t to know, hey, and we’re making a good profit on food and alcohol sales at least. There’s been some good acts. I’m just glad you stopped that dancer before she started removing any more clothes—that poor old guy in the front nearly had a heart attack! Either that or his wife would have killed him.”

“Sorry I didn’t really listen to her. She said she was an exotic dancer, and I thought she meant what kind of music she used… Poor Pete’s face when he put on the record she gave him! He went bright red! At least she didn’t go too far.”

“Yeah, we don’t want Ronnie to lose her licence. Did you tell her where to go?”

“Yeah, Mike, I told her about the strip club farther down the block, told her they might be looking for dancers,” Micky replied quite seriously.

Mike spat out the beer he’d just drunk a mouthful of. “Mick, I meant did you tell her to leave, not offer her any career advice!”

“Sorry! She did go, though and thanked me too. She was nice about it—even gave me a peck on my cheek before she left.” Micky smiled and laughed. “A few of the guys near the front complained and followed her out.”

An old guy said he could play tunes on wine glasses, but he said he’d need some wine to fill the glasses up and he’d also need to drink it to get the quantities right for the right notes. When Jacob offered him water instead, he decided it was time to leave.

Pete came up beside Micky and Mike. “I know just what you need, Micky. I won’t be a minute.”

“I do too—a hypnotist so I can make the crowd forget everything they’ve seen and heard tonight. Oh, Mike, I’m really sorry about this. I won’t make any more suggestions.” Micky walked off and hid himself away in the office.

Meanwhile, Pete had gone upstairs and found Coco in the kitchen, washing the dishes with Gemma. “How’s it going down there? Is Micky doing okay?”

“Not good to both questions. He needs you to help him out, Coco. Would you come down and maybe sing? He needs a good performer and you’re a great singer. I’ll play for you, too. Pick a song and meet me down in the club in five minutes.” He left the girls alone.

“Go on. I can manage on my own. Go save Micky’s ass. I’d love to hear you sing again. Pete’s right—you were so good the last time you sang here. The audience will love you.”

Coco put down the dishcloth. “All right. Come with me now and give me some moral support. I’ll need it. He owes me big time for this.” They both went down and joined Pete and Mike. “Okay, Pete come on then. Let’s do it.”

Coco took the microphone off a guy who’d done his best single, the Beatles’ _A Hard Day’s Night_. She whispered something to Pete and he started to play his acoustic as Coco started to sing _Monday, Monday_. Between the two of them, they had the crowd paying attention.

She got a big round of applause and went straight into _California Dreamin_. She was about to come off stage when the crowd shouted for more, so she mouthed something to Pete and they moved onto _Downtown_ , which had the audience joining in with the chorus, Next was a request for a Beatles song, so she chose _Yesterday_ and by the end, she had people on their feet applauding her loudly. Micky heard the noise from the office and came out to investigate.

He stood by the side of the stage and Coco pulled him up with her and gave him a microphone. “Come on, you’re gonna sing with me.” She launched into _Help_ , thinking it was appropriate for the situation, and Micky was soon harmonising with her.

“They sound good together,” Jacob said to Mike, who was stood beside him at the end of the bar.

“Last song now.” Coco looked over at Gemma and mouthed “ _This one’s for you and Mick_.” She started singing _I Got You Babe_ and Micky soon joined in with her. Everybody was up on their feet cheering when they finished.

Micky went into a speech afterwards, thanking everyone for coming and performing. Coco and Pete went offstage and sat at an empty table, and Jacob brought them both a Coke. “You were brilliant. It was great to play for you,” Pete stated to Coco.

A guy came over and put his hand on Petes shoulder. “Hi, Pete. You mind if I just interrupt and have a word with…” He held out his hand.

Coco shook it. “I’m Coco. Well, Gemma really. I’m Micky’s younger sister, and you are?” she asked him.

“Oh sorry…Andy. I run a recording studio farther down the Strip. Here’s my details.” He passed her a small business card. “I’m always on the lookout for people that I can use in the studio. I came here tonight because I’ve got a group that need a backing singer…would you be interested? “

“I’m not sure. I only sing for fun. I just did this to help my brother out—I don’t think I’m good enough to be paid for it.” Coco looked quite shocked.

“Well, I’ll need to know soon. Do you want to come into the studio one day for a trial, see how it goes and if you like it? Pete can go through some things with you. By the way, I’ve got a session lined up for you, if you’ve got the time?” He looked over at Pete.

“Depends when it is. I’ve got quite a few things on this week, but I should be free after Thursday. I’ll take you in Coco. It’s good pay and a good atmosphere. You’d be brilliant—don’t doubt yourself.” Pete tried to convince Coco that she was good enough.

“Thursday morning’s good for me. It’s some piano and banjo work over a few days, the same group that need you, Coco. Please come and give it a go. The band will love you.”

“Okay, I’ll do it! I just need to get some time off at work, but that shouldn’t be a problem… You’ll be there with me, though?” She looked over at Pete.

“Of course. I’ll pick you up and we can go in together.”

Mike and Micky came over with a soda for each of them just as Andy was getting up to leave and saying his goodbyes, thanking Coco again.

“Here, sis, wasn’t that the guy who you often work for, doing session work, Pete?” Micky asked.

“Yeah, Andy. He wants Coco to do some session work too. I’m gonna be working on Thursday and Friday. You don’t mind, do you, Mike? Coco’s gonna be doing some backing vocals for the band.”

“No problem. At least you finish at the school on Wednesday and Vicky will be back doing her work. That’s good for both of you. You were brilliant tonight, Coco—the crowd loved you.” Mike noticed a guy come in and talk to the tour guide. The guide then stood and told his group that the bus was fixed and they could now leave and head off to their hotel.

He came over to the table and thanked Mike and the others for their hospitality and said he might bring his tours here in the future, as it had gone down well with his group. Micky turned to Mike. “So all those people arriving together didn’t come up for the variety night. They were just here by accident.” He looked disappointed. “And am I not good enough for Andy? He’s seen me sing quite a few times and never offered me any work.”

“Micky, he was looking for a female singer,” Pete added to the conversation.

“Hey, I could sing higher and wear a dress and a wig—s’not fair.” Micky started to sulk, then burst into laughter. “No, it’s okay. I’m so pleased for you, Coco. You deserve it, sis. You go in there and show them what you can do. After all, a good voice runs in the family.” He pulled Coco into a hug.

“Thanks, Micky, and all of you. I’ll do my best, and I’ll buy you an extra present at Christmas with the money I earn. I can treat Mom to something special too.”

“You couldn’t get away with being a chick with your legs and figure, Mick. You’d need some curves—you’re as flat as a pancake.” Mike laughed at him.

“Hey, Mike, stop insulting a guy when he’s feeling down. I can’t be good at everything. I have lots of other talents. Some may be hidden and waiting to surface, but one day I’ll sing on a hit record, and people will be paying big money to come see me in the future. Just watch this space.”

“Okay Micky, hopefully we’ll be up there performing with you,” Mike replied.

“I’d definitely want to be your backing singer, if you ever need one in the future. I’ll always be there for my big brother and his friends. I do think you’ll make it one day. It’ll be worth the wait.”

“Thanks, Coco. I hope so too. Things have been improving. I’m doing my best to get our name out there, and we have our loyal fans too.” Mike was grateful for her positivity.

The club was more or less empty—Jacob was letting the last few people out of the door. He came over to Mike. “I’ll get the bar cleaned up and go home. I’ve got a lecture at eleven in the morning, so I need to get some sleep soon.”

“No problem. We’ll sort this side out, won’t we, guys?” He looked at Pete and Mike.

“Can I come in early in the morning and do it? Gemma can drop me off on her way to work. I’m tired. It’s been a long night,” Micky pleaded.

“Oh, all right. I’ll make a start, and you can go upstairs and rest if you want, Pete. What time do you need to be at the school?”

“About half past eight. I need to be there to set up for the first lesson at nine. So if you don’t mind, Mike, I will go and get some rest, but I’ll help if you want?”

“Nah. It’s okay. I’ve got some paperwork to do in the office. I shouldn’t be too long before I’m done.”

“Okay. See you soon. I’ll get you something to eat and see if there’s anything any good on television. Might be a good movie.” Pete came over and gave Mike a kiss and then said bye to Micky and Gemma and headed off upstairs.

“Well I sorted the kitchen out after I’d finished in there, so you don’t have anything to do. I’ll just go get my purse, Micky, then I’m ready to go.” Gemma ran back up to the apartment.

“Guys, if you ever hear me offering to take over from Ronnie when she takes time off to have the baby, you have permission to slap or shoot me,” Mike explained.

“Oh, I’ll do that. Pete wouldn’t want to hurt you.” Micky laughed. “I’d enjoy it.”

“You fucken would, too. I just don’t know how she does it every day. I’m shattered and feel like I’m gonna need a week or more in bed to rest and get over this—it’s hard work.”

Gemma came back down, and she and Micky left, so Mike went off to the office. Pete grabbed some food Gemma had left for them in the kitchen and settled down in the lounge to read and wait for Mike to finish working.

***

Mike turned off the lights around the club and sighed. It had been a long day and he was tired but looking forward to spending some time with Pete. He used the bathroom and went into the living room, where he found Pete asleep on the couch, his book part-opened on his chest. He’d obviously been unable to stay awake.

Mike decided not to wake him. He went to get a blanket and covered Pete up, then put on the television and started to watch a late movie to try to wind down. After about thirty minutes, Pete started to stir. He didn’t look too comfy, and Mike was tempted to try to pick him up and carry him to bed, but Pete woke up first.

“Oh, Mike, have you been up long? I’m sorry I fell asleep. You look shattered. We should head off to bed, and before I forget, Davy phoned just as I came up—he’s flying home tomorrow and wants one of us to pick him up from the airport.”

“Did you mention about that chick’s husband looking for him?” Mike quizzed him.

“No, I thought it best not to scare him…best to leave him to deal with that when he’s back, don’t you think?”

Later in bed, a sleeping Pete settled in his arms, Mike was thinking what would happen over the coming days. Would he tell Ronnie he’d struggled running the club, and about Micky’s events? And also could they make sure Alan didn’t get his hands on Davy for messing around with his wife? _Maybe I should leave him to realize what problems his dating so many chicks can cause, let him deal with it himself for once. It’s probably why he took off, and he’s hoping the heat’s died down by now._

Mike was also glad that Pete would be away from Susan the teenage temptress in a few days. He knew he could trust Pete, but Susan was determined to get her way and her hands on Mike’s man. _I can’t fight a young girl, but I can play mean too…maybe I could get Davy to flirt with her? The little Brit could help me out, and I’ll watch his back?_

He wasn’t sure what he was dreading the most, which member of his band he would have to keep his eye on, to stop either Davy or himself being hurt. He tossed and turned until he succumbed to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Mike was woken by Pete sitting beside him on the bed the next morning. “Morning, Pete. What’s the time, babe?”

“Morning, Michael. It’s about quarter to eight. I’m gonna be leaving for work soon, but I’ve brought you breakfast in bed. I even cooked you some bacon and sausages! Here you go.” He let Mike prop himself up against the pillows and headboard then passed him a tray. Mike took a gulp of the coffee first.

“Thanks, Pete. This looks good, but you didn’t have to, and aren’t you having anything?”

“I had some toast. Is there anything else you need? You don’t need to be up for a while, so finish this up and try to get some more sleep—you could do with the rest. Isn’t Micky coming in early to help with the clean-up in the club?”

“I’ll believe it when I see it. Christine’s due in first. I don’t want her to come in and feel she needs to see to everything, so I won’t stay in bed too long, but I really appreciate this gesture.”

Pete leaned over and kissed Mike after he’d finished a mouthful of egg. “Bye. I’ll see you some time this afternoon. I’ve got a lesson with Susan, and James and the other kids in his band are coming round too, for a bit of a practice before the club opens…you don’t mind, do you?”

“Of course not. I’ll take some time off this evening and cook us dinner. Let’s try to at least have some time together on our own.” Mike pulled Pete in for another kiss. “Bye and see you later.”

“Don’t forget Davy’s due back today. He might call you after the plane’s landed, before he gets his luggage—someone needs to pick him up.”

“All right. I think I might get Micky to do that, make himself useful. Go—you don’t wanna be late for work, do you? Love you.”

“Me too. Love you more. Bye again, Michael.” Pete waved and left Mike on his own.

Not much later, Mike was woken again by someone looming over him. “Micky, what on earth… Why are you in bed with me? What time is it?” He reached over to pick up his watch. “Eleven! I’ve slept in late. You been downstairs, clearing up, I hope?” he asked Micky.

“Yes, sir. I came in with Christine, and she helped me a little. She’s setting up the bar now. I tidied up the office too—you’d left glasses and beer bottles in there,” Micky smugly answered him.

“All right. I guess I better get up. Oh, you heard Davy’s gonna be back today?”

“No, not until you just told me” You want me to pick him up from the airport? I guess you and Pete will be too busy and I don’t mind.”

“That would be good. Thanks, Mick. Now let me get ready. I’ll get a shower first, so would you start up the coffee machine, please?”

“No problem. Hey, it’s nice and warm in this bed—no wonder you slept in. That’s not like you at all. Guess you’re tired… Is it because of overwork, or whatever you and Pete get up to in here?”

“Hey, it’s the hours! I’m not used to it. And no, me and Pete aren’t spending enough time together to get up to much.”

“Spare me the details, please, Mike! You’re grouchy—I’ll go sort out your coffee.” Micky dived out from under the covers. “Come out of the bathroom in a better mood!”

When Micky had left, Mike got up and used the en suite. The shower was so much better than the one back in the pad. _Big enough for two. Now I just need to make sure me and Pete get the time to use it together. That’d be good,_ he thought.

When he went to the kitchen, Micky was at the table, having a bowl of cereal. “There’s your coffee. You want anything to eat? Early lunch, maybe? The ice box is pretty full with leftovers from last night.”

“S’okay, I’ll get something later. I had breakfast in bed that Pete made me.” Mike sat and picked up the cup.

“Mike, I don’t need to know exactly what you two get up to in the bedroom.” Micky laughed.

“I’m not giving out any details to you! You jealous or something?”

“No, I’m not. I’m happy enough in that department, thank you. It’s been good having Gemma staying over at the pad. I’m gonna miss her, when you’re all back—she fulfils all my needs for me.”

“I bet filling your stomach is the main one. Least you ain’t gotta feed yourself.” Mike laughed.

“You know me too well, but I guess she won’t wanna stay over when Davy’s back tonight. Unless we could…”

Mike could imagine the cogs turning in Micky’s head. “Before you ask, you are not using our bed. I locked the bedroom door before we left, and I’ve got the key, and no trying to pick the lock.”

“Spoilsport! We’d keep the room tidy, and you’ve got the double bed… Please, Mike?” Micky got down on his knees to plead with Mike.

“No way! It ain’t happening. Ask Davy to sleep on the couch or in the hammock. And there’s also the spare bedroom or have you filled it up with more junk? I don’t know why you have or where you get so much crap from.”

“Sorry, but it’s not junk or crap—I need those things for my inventions and the spare room’s much warmer than working in the garage! At least the Monkeemobile will fit in there now,” Micky stated.

“So you’ve moved everything outta there? I guess that’s a good thing, I suppose…better if we need to work on the car. I’ve been hearing an odd noise. We can take a look at it in a few days.”

“No problem, Mike, and the pad’s tidy at least. Gemma cleans up as she goes along. It’s good having a chick about the place, but she’s a bit shy in the bedroom when any of you are there, if you know what I mean… She thinks you’ll hear everything. The walls are thin, as you know from experience.”

“Ask Davy to stop over at a chick’s then. I’m sure theres a girl somewhere who’s been missing him. He’s probably already got a date lined up, knowing him.” Mike laughed, shaking his head.

“You wanna bet on that? Because I reckon he has—he’s probably chatting up the air stewardesses as we speak! He’ll have them eating out of his hands, as he says often enough.”

“Well, he’s gonna have to deal with that guy Alan, and Mary—God knows what happened there. I dread to think. You can drop some hints to him on the drive back from the airport.”

Christine appeared at the kitchen door a few minutes later. “Mike, there’s someone here who wants to see you. He looks quite a serious guy, and it doesn’t seem like he’s in a good mood either. Best not to keep him waiting too long. I got him a coffee and he’s sitting in a booth.”

“Okay, Christine. Thanks—can you let him know I’ll be with him in a few minutes? You can come with me, Mick, give me some backup.” Mike got up and Micky followed him down into the club.

“Good morning, Michael Nesmith, temporary manager. This is my assistant, Micky Dolenz.” They approached the guy in the booth. “How can we assist you?”

The man stood and shook Mike’s hand. “Hello. I’m Edward Ryan, from the City Hall I deal with permits and licenses, heres my id. We’ve had complaints about patrons of this club drinking outside, food being served and also groups of underage minors on the premises. Can you confirm if any of this is true?”

“We had an incident the other night and the club was temporary evacuated, and yes, I think people took their drinks out with them. Everyone was back inside within ten minutes. And yes, we served food. It was snacks, not full meals, just burgers, fries, and hot dogs,” Mike replied to him.

“All right.” The guy took some paperwork out of his briefcase and briefly read some of it. “So the other matter is the underage minors that have been seen entering and leaving the establishment. Can you explain that to me?”

Micky spoke up first this time. “Well, we had a teen night in the back room. The bar was locked up and only soft drinks were served. The kids played and listened to music and had fun, and everything was over and finished by the time the main area opened for the night. We had no trouble and everyone was well behaved.”

“So did these teenagers have permission from their parents, and do you have a license permitting these events?” The man stared straight at both of them.

“Some of the kids were given lifts here by their parents, so they must have been aware, and sorry, sir, but I wasn’t aware that we needed a license. Could you let me know how we could apply for one, before we plan any more evenings?” Micky took over the conversation, which Mike was glad about.

“You’ll need to go to City Hall of course, but these complaints that we’ve received might not make things go in your favor… I’ve got a form with me that you can fill in and submit to us. I’m not sure how long things like this will take as we have quite a backlog of paperwork to deal with.”

“Thank you. I’ll bring this in as soon as possible.” Micky took the form from him.

“Can I ask who made a complaint against the club?” Mike decided to ask.

“I’m afraid I’m unable to divulge that information to you, but there has been more than one, and as I said, these may go against any license application.” The man put everything away in his briefcase. “I need to go now—I have someone else to see, so thank you for your time, and goodbye.”

When the guy was out of the door, Mike got Micky to follow him into the office. “You got any idea about who made these complaints? Ronnie sure ain’t gonna be happy about this.”

“None! Really, I’m just in the dark as you, and probably just as mad as you are too,” Micky replied.

Christine was busy at the bar as another member of staff arrived. “Am I in early because we’ve got another event on? Something those guys have planned? I don’t wanna be stuck in the back bar again with a bunch of kids,” he said.

“No, Ben, nothing’s planned. I though you’d want some overtime. Sorry for asking for you—go home if you want. And would you like me to tell Ronnie how you feel about the job? I’m sure someone else would be willing to take your place.”

“No, it’s okay… It’s just that they don’t really seem to know what they’re doing. They should just stick to performing here. They could’ve left you in charge, because you’re well in with Ronnie. Best I don’t say too much…after all, you’re more or less related to one of their band, aren’t you? But I’m not the only person who feels like this.”

“Mike’s not doing too bad. He offered to help out here, and he’s putting the hours in. I couldn’t do that. I’ve got responsibilities at home. If you’re not gonna stop complaining, you know where the exit is. And you can tell the others that too, if they aren’t happy.”

“Okay, sorry. Forget I said anything. At least Ronnie will be back in charge soon and things should get back to normal.” Ben quickly disappeared into the stockroom.

Christine followed him. “Seeing as though you wanna hide away in here out of the way, you can tidy everything up, clear out the rubbish and empty boxes? That should keep you busy for a while.”

In the office, Mike and Micky went through the license form, filling it in the best they could. “Let’s just hope they approve it. I don’t want to give Ronnie any bad news, and you have really put some effort into these events, Micky.”

“I could take this into the City Hall tomorrow and try to see someone, try to win them over. The kids need somewhere to go to have fun, and it was a good evening. I’ll take Davy with me. He could maybe work his charm on the receptionist to get us in to talk to somebody! It’s worth a try.”

“Let’s hope so. His ability with chicks could work to our advantage for once.” Mike laughed.

Christine decided to call Annie to ask her opinion about something that was on her mind. Luckily, Annie was in and answered quickly. “Hey, sorry for bothering you. Theres just something I need to ask you.”

“No problem. I’m multitasking feeding Dylan and talking to you. He’s in a grumpy mood and I’m struggling to get him to eat this new food, so a distraction is good.”

“Good. It’s just we’ve just had someone here from the City Hall, about some complaints about what’s been going off here since Mike’s been in charge.”

“So I guess the guys aren’t too happy?” Annie asked her.

“I doubt it, but Ben who works behind the bar has been complaining to me a few times. I think he doesn’t approve of the temporary management, and he says other staff feel the same. Mike’s tougher on them than Ronnie—they can’t get away with being lazy.” Christine was keeping an eye on the storage room door, not wanting Ben to hear her.

“So you think one of the bar staff have put the complaints in, because they don’t like the changes? Don’t they realize they could cause problems for Ronnie? They could put their own jobs at risk.”

“Yeah, that’s what I think, but do I tell Mike and cause any more issues for him? They need to sort a license out—he and Micky are looking into that now in the office. I’m on my own behind the bar.”

“Do you want me to ask Peter to have a word with Mike about the bar staff? I don’t mind seeing what he thinks.”

“No, Annie, better not. I don’t want Mike angry that I’ve been talking about him behind his back this way. I might have a word with Jacob… He’s coming in in a few hours to go over rotas with me.”

“Yeah, it might be best if you approach Mike together. Good idea. Listen, I need to hang up—I think Dylan’s diaper needs changing. Who’s a little stinky boy? Those mashed-up potatoes and vegetables are causing this. Do you think I’m trying solid foods too early? I have to go. Bye—see you later this evening.”

“They seem to enjoy it. Summer seems to be loving bananas. I should be home about six-thirty. Bye.” Christine hung up the phone and got back to work, stacking glasses.

Pete was back around one and found Mike and Micky upstairs in the kitchen, starting to make some lunch. Mike looked at the clock “You’re early—everything okay?”

“The last lesson of the day got cancelled. Mrs Young had to leave for a funeral, so they said I wasn’t needed, so I’m here. Susan will be here for her lesson soon. I called to tell her we could start an hour early—she’s nervous because she’s got the exam tomorrow. I’m at the school eight until twelve then gonna drive to her house and we’ll go straight to the examiner’s office.”

“All right. I’ll make you some lunch…a cheese sandwich okay?” Mike asked Pete.

“Thanks. I should have about forty minutes before she gets here. I said the kids from the school’s band can come around later too. They wanna practise. You don’t mind, do you?” Pete asked Mike.

Mike continued filling a plate with food. He got a tray and picked up some fruit. “No problem. Come on, let’s take this into the living room.” He followed Pete and they both sat down.

“Have you had a call from Davy yet? His plane should be landing sometime soon.” Pete leaned across Mike and grabbed a sandwich

“No, nothing yet, and least our lives will soon be back to normal—we’ll be back in the pad and here playing our usual gigs. Which reminds me. I think we need to have a few rehearsals, maybe change the set list a little, play some of our newer material—”

They were interrupted by the phone and Micky picked it up. “Hello… Hey Davy! How are you? Groovy, that’s good…okay so you’re gonna go wait for your baggage…Yeah, I’ll set out now and I should be there soon.”

Mike threw the Monkeemobile keys to him. “Drive carefully, and no telling him about that chick and her husband—we can leave him to deal with that problem if and when the guy turns up. See you soon.”

“No problem I hope there’s not too much traffic, but it’s not too late,” Micky said as he left.

A few minutes later, there was a knock and Susan entered the living room. “Hi, I passed Micky, is it? on my way in, and he said to come upstairs. Are you ready for my lesson, Peter?” She smiled at him.

“I’ll clear up after lunch and head back down to the office, leave you to it,” Mike said as he went for the door to go to the kitchen.

By the time Pete and Susan had finished, Micky was just arriving back on his own. He went to join the others who were having a drink while Susan was waiting for her father to come to take her home. “Where is he?” Mike asked, looking around.

“Back at the pad. He said he was tired after the flight—jetlag and he didn’t get much sleep on the flight, but he got the number of two stewardesses! That guy can pull a chick anywhere. Wish I had his luck.”

“Micky, you’ve got a girlfriend! At least you’re not skirt-chasing like he is all the time. Oh, did you ask him about tomorrow, going to City Hall with you?” Mike asked.

“He’s up for it, hoping the mayor’s assistant is a cute young bird. His words, not mine. I just hope it works and that Ronnie agrees to more teen evenings here.”

Susan stared at Micky, looking disappointed. “I though those were gonna be a regular event! I told most of my girlfriends about the last one, and they’re planning on coming. I hope you’ll be having another soon.”

Mike spoke up to answer her question. “We didn’t realize that we’d need a license, and we had a visit from City Hall this morning, so we filled in the application and now just need to see if they grant us one. That’s why Micky and Davy are going tomorrow, to see if they can talk someone around, maybe even see the mayor.”

“Okay. I really hope you get it. Oh, Daddy—everyone, this is my father. This is Pete, my piano teacher and his friends and bandmates… Wait a minute… Daddy, aren’t you playing golf later with Uncle Frank?” she asked her dad.

“Yes, princess, I’m due at the club after taking you home. Got my golf bag ready in the car.”

“Daddy, could you have a word with him? The guys here need a favor. They’re starting up a club for teenagers like me, music, and of course only soft drinks. All the kids want to come! But they need to get a license.” She was giving her father a big smiling innocent look.

“I guess I could try and help. Anything for my princess, and if it keeps the kids off the streets…”

“Thank you! Sorry, guys, I didn’t say—Uncle Frank, he’s my godfather and also the mayor, and Daddy’s best friend from college.” She looked at Pete then looked back at her father.

He nodded at his daughter. “I’ll talk to him while we’re playing later. It shouldn’t be too hard—he’ll do anything for Susan, but there’s a favor I need to ask of you before I do this.”

He looked at all the Monkees, his gaze stopping on Pete, who stared back, worried about what the man was going to ask.


	15. Chapter 15

Pete gulped as he waited to hear what Susan’s father was going to ask them, or _him_ , as it seemed that the guy was mainly paying his attention to him. Mike was also staring, his puzzled gaze going from one to the other.

Susan was the first to speak. “Thank you, Daddy. I’m glad you’ll be able to help Pete and his friends.”

Mike was worried about what his favor would be, especially knowing that Susan liked Pete. He waited with bated breath.

“My wife and I are attending an important party on Friday evening. Lots of very important and influential people will be there. Susan should be going with us, but she doesn’t want to attend on her own—her friends who are attending all have dates, and of course she doesn’t want to be the odd one out. So I would like one of you guys to offer to escort her.”

Susan smiled at Pete, and he, Mike and Micky just glanced from one to another, not knowing what to say. Micky quickly answered, “I’ve got a date with my girlfriend on Friday so unfortunately I’ll have to decline. Sorry, Susan.”

“I think Susan would like Peter to accompany her. Is that what you’d prefer?” He looked at his daughter, who nodded back.

Mike stared at Pete to see if could gauge his reaction to that. He seemed a little shocked and didn’t answer Mr. Richards. Micky noticed this and decided to speak. “Of course you’ll do this, won’t you, Pete?” He winked and smiled, hoping he was sending out the right vibes to make Pete say yes.

Mike gave Micky such an angry stare that Micky mouthed ‘ _Sorry’_ to him. Pete blinked a few times and tried to think of something to say quickly. The first thing that came out of his mouth was, “I haven’t got anything suitable to wear.”

“Don’t worry about that. I have a friend who can get you a suit and I’ll buy or hire one for you,” Mr Richards responded back.

“Have we got anything planned for Friday?” Peter asked Mike. 

Mike didn’t get chance to reply when Micky interrupted, “Everything should be back to normal and we don’t have a gig until Friday night.” He totally ignored the death glare Mike was giving him.

“I said I would babysit my sister’s twins on Friday. I can’t say no to her,” Peter quickly said.

“I’m sure your sister could rearrange it for another night, or someone else could step in for you. This evening can’t be re-arranged,” Susan answered.

“I also offered to give some guitar lessons to a few of the pupils from the school, remember Mike? Some of them are entering a band competition—you saw them play at the teen evening—that will keep me busy.”

“I could do that for you, Pete. Me and Mike can look after the kids. I can get them practicing on the drums, too,” Micky said. 

Pete thought of something else to say. “I’m not very good at dancing, and I’m a vegetarian. Not many places cater for that.”

“I can contact the caterers and inform them of that and I’m sure something can be arranged. And don’t panic about dancing—I’m not very good at it, either. My wife says I have two left feet.” Mr Richards and Susan seemed to have an answer for every excuse Pete could come up with.

Mike couldn’t think of anything to help Pete, and he hoped Micky wouldn’t comment again, because he wasn’t helping the situation one little bit.

“Okay. I’ll change any plans I have, and I’ll do this.” Pete eventually gave in

Mr. Richards looked at his watch. “Susan, we need to get going. I don’t want to be late at the club. I’ll see you on Friday, Peter. Thank you. And don’t worry about the application—I’m sure your license will be approved in the next few days. Goodbye.”

Susan gave Pete a hug and whispered thank you to him. “I’ll be ready for you to pick me up for my exam tomorrow. You’ve got my address, haven’t you?”

“Yes, I wrote it in the diary. I’ll be there about half past two. The exam’s at three, so we’ll be there in plenty of time. I’m sure you’ll pass. See you tomorrow.” Susan waved and followed her father out of the front entrance.

“What have I done? You think I can get out of this?” Pete quizzed Mike. “Can any of you help me out here? I can’t do this! Please, guys, Michael…”

“Pete, you gotta do this! For me, for the club, for Ronnie and Vicky! It’s only one night. It might be fun and you’ll get a good meal too.”

“Mick, Susan’s gonna see it as a date, and you know that’s what she wants. The club managed well before you did the teen evening—we don’t even need to say anything to Ronnie about it. I’ll do my best to think of something…we could say you’re ill.” Mike squeezed Pete’s hand.

“She thinks it’s a date. I can’t go through with that. I’ve never been on a proper date with a chick before. I asked a few when I was younger, but they always turned me down and laughed at me for just daring to ask them.” Pete started to panic and was glad Mike was by his side.

“Let’s just forget about it for now, okay, not another word from you about it, Micky. You didn’t help at all. Pete, just breathe deeply and calm down.” Mike started to breathe in and out in time with Pete.

Pete was soon more relaxed. “Thanks, Michael. I’m gonna go upstairs. I think I might read and make a cup of camomile tea. That should help.” Pete stood.

“Okay, babe. I’ve got a few things to do and I’ll come up and spend some time with you.” He gave Pete a hug and stared across at Micky. “Mick, you can deal with James and his band when they get here. Remember that you said earlier you were willing to help them out? Just give me a shout if you need anything, Pete.”

“Thanks,” Pete replied before he left the other two on their own.

“I’m sorry, Mike. I want this to happen. It was a good night don’t you think? The kids had a good time—why shouldn’t they have somewhere to go? It proves we’ve made a success of running the club too. Ronnie will be happy, I’m sure.” Micky was trying his best to convince Mike, but Mike just sighed and walked over to the office without saying a word.

Micky walked over to the bar and Christine gave him a bottle of beer. “Here. It’s on me. Looks like you need it. It’s not been a good day, has it?”

“I know, and now I’ve made Mike mad. I hope he calms down soon. He’s stressed because Pete’s stressed, I guess. I know I should have kept quiet, but I can’t help myself sometimes. Mom always said my mouth gets me in trouble at times.”

Jacob joined them partway through their conversation. “I wouldn’t worry too much. Mike will come around. Hey, he forgave me for what I did, and you’ve known him longer than me.”

“The guy was really pushy, though. I know Vicky says Susan’s a bit of a spoilt princess, so he’ll want her to get what she wants. Pete just needs to be upfront and tell her there’s not gonna be anything to it, just friendship only. He needs to toughen up. Jacob, we gonna get this rota done and I need a word with you about Ben…sorry for changing the subject,” Christine said to Micky.

“It’s fine. I’ll go see how Mike is.”

“What’s the problem with Ben? Has he been complaining again? All that guy does is moan. If he doesn’t want this job, he can quit. I know people who would do the job much better than him,” Jacob stated.

“Yeah, he made some comment this morning about how Mike’s running the place. That’s why I gave him the job of cleaning up the stock room. I haven’t said anything to Mike yet. I had a talk with Annie, and she said it was best to see what you thought.” She went and checked Ben was still busy.

“If you want, we could approach Mike together? Or should I have a word with Ben, tell him to decide what he wants, get everything dealt with before Ronnie’s back?”

“Well, I don’t want to cause any problems for Ronnie. She and Vicky have gone away to relax, and neither of them want to be dealing with Ben and his mouthing off. You think it’s best to see if we can handle it between ourselves? We also had a visit from someone from City Hall this morning too—someone complained about the teen night.”

“All right and remember those judges could turn up any moment, too. We don’t need things to go bad just because he can’t keep his mouth shut.”

“Oh God, I forgot all about the best club on the strip competition,” Christine replied to Jacob. “We could do without that.”

A few minutes later, James, Jack and Paul came through the front entrance. “Hi. Are any of the guys around? We’ve come to practice—they know we were coming this afternoon. Could we have three Cokes, please?” James asked Jacob.

“Yeah. One moment, guys. Christine, do you wanna go let Micky or Mike know? I’ll get these drinks and then go deal with Ben.”

“Will do and thanks for that. It might be better another guy talking to him. I bet he doesn’t like me being the one to tell him what to do. I feel some of the male bar staff don’t like having me as a bar manager, but they always take notice of you.”

Jacob called at the office, told Micky the kids were there, and then went to check on Ben who he found sitting on some boxes reading a magazine. He coughed loudly to let Ben know he was there. Ben turned around and stood.

“Sorry, Jacob, I was just having a break. I’ve been busy. All the stock’s restocked, and I’ve made a list of what we need to re-order. I think Christine’s doing her best, but she seems to have other things on her mind. As least you’re here now.” He passed the list to Jacob.

“Well, you can get rid of these empty boxes now, and give the floor a mop, then go wipe down the tables and get the back room ready. There’s a private event in there this evening.”

“No problem. I’ll get on with it now.” Ben quickly started breaking down the empty boxes.

“Also, Ben, I’ve heard a few people complaining about you and your attitude. And I’ve noticed a change in you lately. If you aren’t happy here anymore, we can soon sort that out,” Jacob added.

“I’m fine. I do like my job, and I need it. I’m tired, I guess—I’ve been working two jobs to get the money for my new car. Who’s said anything?” Ben asked Jacob.

“I’m not going you tell you, but consider yourself warned. I hope to see an improvement in your work. I also hope you didn’t have anything to do with the reason that the guy from City Hall came here today,” Jacob stated.

“No…honestly that was nothing to do with me. I didn’t know they didn’t have a license for the events they’ve had since they’ve been running the club.”

“I didn’t mention anything about a license, Ben, so you’ve just dropped yourself in it! It was you, wasn’t it? I think its best if you quit, and I won’t mention anything to Ronnie. Just don’t contact or expect a reference from us, but get your things and leave.”

“All right. I’m sorry. Can’t I have another chance? What’s Christine been saying to you? I know she doesn’t like me, and Ronnie will always take her side because she’s queer too. They’d stick together.”

“Sorry. No chance, Ben, and in fact you just made things worse with that nasty comment. We’ll sort out your pay and forward it on to you.” Jacob tried to remain calm even though Ben had made him mad.

Jacob watch Ben collect his coat and some belongings and walked him out of the door. He went back over to Christine after he’d watched Ben drive away. “We won’t have any more trouble from him. We kind of came to a mutual agreement that him working here wasn’t working out anymore.”

“So he’s quit then? You gonna tell Mike?”

“Yeah, I’ll explain. It sounds like he was the one who complained to City Hall. Let’s hope the guys get it sorted before the girls get back,” Jacob said as he went to see Mike.

Micky was now sitting with the guys on the stage and talking Paul through some drum rolls while James and Jack were playing the guitar and bass. They both seemed to have new instruments. Micky remembered they came from a private school, so their parents would think nothing of getting their kids what they wanted.

“Our dads got us the new instruments—you should see my groovy black Slingerland drum kit! My dad’s even cleared out part of the garage for us to practice in. He’s happy we’ve found something to do with our spare time,” Paul said to Micky.

“My sister couldn’t make practice. She’s out on a date. She has a different boyfriend every week.”

“Sounds like someone I know—Davy in our band’s like that.” Micky laughed.

“Is he the British one? She thinks he’s cute, and she’s hoping he’ll be back soon. She often comes to your gigs. She doesn’t stop talking about him, but I’d say you’re a better singer than him,” Paul added.

“Thanks! Be sure to say that when Davy’s around, tell her he’ll be at our next gig on Saturday. I can introduce her to him.”

“She’d love that. Better tell her to come with her friends rather than a guy,” Paul responded.

“She’ll be well in with him if he doesn’t have to do all the flirting. He’s back now, but I won’t say anything to him. She can surprise him.”

Mike had thanked Jacob for updating him on the Ben incident. He hadn’t been too keen on the guy, and the queer comment he’d made was definitely wrong. They needed people working here who would accept anyone one, regardless of their color, religion or sexual preferences. He was glad Jacob had dealt with him, as he felt he wouldn’t have been responsible for his actions, and he was glad Pete hadn’t heard what Ben had said.

Mike went over and checked on Micky, who was busy with the kids. They were enjoying themselves, just trying a few Beatles songs. He pulled Micky to one side to let him know he was gonna go upstairs and see how Pete was, and he’d see if he wanted to come down and help with the group.

“Hey, babe, you okay now?” he asked going into the living room with tea for Pete, and coffee for himself. Pete put down his book, smiled and nodded.

“Yes, thanks, better than I was. I remembered I’m working in the studio on Friday with Coco, but it shouldn’t be all day. I admit I’m really nervous though. I’m gonna tell Susan its not a real date.”

“That’s fine. Whatever you want. I mean tell her about us if you want. I don’t mind.”

“I’m not sure she’d take that well. She’s only a kid—she’s got a crush on me, but I’ve no idea why. I haven’t encouraged her, but you know you can trust me, don’t you?” Pete reassured Mike.

“Of course. I would never worry about that. Hey, and I can’t fault her for having a crush. You are pretty adorable, but you’re all mine. Let’s finish these and you can go and help Micky out with James’ group. I knew you had some good ideas for the competition.” Mike squeezed Pete’s hand.

“No problem. You always know what to say, and what’s best for me.” He leaned into Mike’s chest and wrapped an arm around him. “That’s why I love you. Don’t forget that.”

Downstairs, Gemma had arrived and was watching Micky play with the kids. Christine and Jacob had finished off the next few weeks’ rota, had put up a sign for new bar staff, and had got everything ready for the club to open.

Pete had brought some sheet music down and called James over to have a look. “I thought of something different for you to try. What do you think?”

James looked over the music. “This looks great, mixing classical music with rock! I’m willing to try. It’s different.” He shouted the other two over to look and Micky came with them. Jack and Paul seemed to be interested, too.

“Of course we’ll help you with everything, and I’ve already signed you up for the competition. The first heat is on Saturday morning. Mike, Micky and I will be there to support you, and help you practice for it,” Pete said to the three young guys.

James looked shocked and glanced over at Jack, Paul and then the three Monkees. “You really think we can do this, that we’ll be good enough?”

“Sure, have some confidence in your abilities. You’re all good,” Pete answered.

“We’ll be there for you every step of the way like Pete said,” Micky said to back Pete up. “With our help, you can do it. Go on, go for it, guys.”

The kids went back over to start rehearsing some more.

“Well, don’t try and sneak too many beers on your date on Friday, Micky. Keep an eye on him for us, Gemma,” Mike said.

“It’s not a party or anything. My mom and dad will be there too. It’s a charity dinner event the mayor’s putting on for local business owners, so he needs to be on his best behavior. Oh, I forgot—have you got a decent suit, Micky? I could get it dry cleaned for you,” Gemma asked.

“I got a good suit so don’t worry. Hey, this sounds like the place you’re gonna be going too, as well, Pete! So I’ll be there to watch over him and Susan for you, Mike, make sure she keeps her hands to herself. You can watch with me, can’t you, Gemma?” She nodded and Micky laughed.

“I’m not worried about what Pete does. I trust him, but thanks, Micky,” Mike replied.

Micky didn’t really get a chance to answer Mike because two chicks came running in through the front entrance in a bit of a panic. They both stood trying to catch their breath for a moment before one spoke. Mike recognized her as Mary, the chick with the crazy husband.

“Is Davy here?” she shouted.

“No,” Micky answered. “Why, what’s wrong?”

“It’s Alan. He’s heard Davy’s back—a friend of his saw him coming out of the airport earlier today—and he got mad, so he’s out now searching for him. I guess he hasn’t been here yet?”

“No, we’ve not seen him since you were last in here. Where do you think he could be?” Mike asked.

“Well, he’s out for Davy’s blood and very worked up, and he knows where you live as well—he made me follow you home one night,” she replied turning to Micky. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, guys.” Jacob came out from the office area. “Davy’s on the phone, and he says there’s someone trying to break your front door down—what should he do?”

The three of them just glanced at one another and Mike went to get the keys to the Monkeemobile. “Jacob, you’re in charge. Come on, guys, we better go and save Davy’s ass. You can both come with us too,” he shouted at Mary and the other chick.

“Okay, come on, Katherine. Guys, this is my sister. I’m sure between the two of us, we can talk Alan out of killing Davy.” They both followed the Monkees to the car.

“I fucking hope so. I think this is all down to your husband having a case of mistaken identity,” Mike answered as he stared directly at Katherine.


	16. Chapter 16

The Monkeemobile pulled up outside the pad and just behind it the two chicks in the VW Bug which had followed them from the Strip. Mike and Micky dived straight out of the car and ran in through the already opened front door to see Davy being held up against the wall his feet off the floor.

“Alan, put him down now!” Mike heard shouted from behind him.

“Guys, guys…you gonna try to give me a hand here? I kinda need some help,” Day shouted at the same time.

“No, Mary, let me deal with this my way,” Alan answered as he was dangling Davy, holding him up by his shoulders. Davy was trying his best to kick the guy, to get him to drop him.

“I haven’t done anything to your wife, I promise,” Davy yelped before he looked at the two identical chicks who were now one either side of Alan. He did a double take. “Please don’t thump me, and don’t mess up my face. Katherine, I thought you were single?” he asked the one in the pant suit.

“There! See, Alan, just like I’ve been trying to convince you all along! It’s Katherine that he’s been seeing. I wouldn’t cheat on you,” the chick in the mini dress shouted, and pulled at the guy’s arms to try to release Davy.

“Katherine, what’s going om here? Who are they and why are you all here? I guess she’s your twin, but I’ve never seen you before.” Davy shouted at Alan, “Will you please let go of me?”

Alan released his grip, causing Davy to fall, Katherine rushing to his side. “Are you okay? I’m sorry about this—my sister’s husband’s a brute. I’ve no idea what she sees in him.”

Alan glared at Mary. “So your sister’s been using our apartment for her hook-ups with this…midget, and the neighbors thought it was you messing me about?”

“Yes, she couldn’t take him to Mom and Dad’s. You know what they’re like, and she did use our spare room. Katherine…you did, didn’t you? You better have not been using our bed.”

“God, Mary what do you take me for? I wouldn’t do that. Your husband’s an idiot—it’s not the first time he’s got us both mixed up. Remember that time he came home drunk and stuck his tongue down my throat? He was like a hoover with all that suction. And squeezing my ass too.”

“Okay! I don’t need to be reminded of that again.” Mary turned from her sister to Alan. “So I hope you believe me now, and can we please go home?”

“Yes, Mary. I’m sorry, I’ll make it up to you,” he replied.

“Good. You’d better do that, and sorry about all this,” Mary said to Mike, Micky, and Pete.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ve got the Bug—you go home with him and calm him down,” Katherine ordered Mary as she gave Alan a death glare.

Mary mouthed _thank you_ and forced Alan out of the front door. Katherine turned to Davy. “Sorry about that. Alan gets a bit hot-headed at times. At least he didn’t hit you.” She pulled Davy close and kissed him, to which be soon responded.

No one noticed the blonde chick in just Davy’s robe come down the spiral staircase, just as Davy was getting reacquainted with Katherine.

“Can someone please tell me what on earth’s going on here? David, who are all these people and who is she?” the chick screamed and pointed at Katherine.

“Marsha…I can explain. Just give me a minute. Katherine, please, I think it’s best if you leave.” Davy stared over at her and the door in a startled outburst. 

“Who’s Marsha? I’m Martha and I think I’m gonna be leaving too.” She pulled Davy in front of her and slapped his face hard, leaving a stinging handprint.

Katherine went up to her, ignoring Davy. “I’m sorry. I had no idea he was here with someone. I’m supposed to be his girlfriend. He was seeing me before he left to go to England.”

“He told me he was single and lived in a Malibu beach pad on his own—successful lead singer in his own band, he said too! How many more lies have you been feeding me?” She gave Davy’s other cheek a slap.

“Well he doesn’t live here alone, and he certainly isn’t the lead singer in our band, because I am.” Micky stood forward proudly, stating the last fact.

“Okay…and a little cutie too.” Martha came up to Micky and stroked his cheek. “You single?”

“No sorry, I’ve got a girlfriend and we’re very happy together, but thanks for noticing me,” Micky answered with a grin and stared straight at Davy.

“He told me I could spend the night so I could save my airline hotel allowance. Can anyone recommend a decent hotel around here and call me a cab? I’m going to get dressed and don’t bother following or talking to me again.” She scowled right in Davy’s face.

“I’ll come up and help you with anything you need. I can’t believe what you’ve done. We’re through, Davy, and I never wanna see you again. You don’t need to call a cab—I’ll drop you off at a hotel.” Katherine told her.

Martha thanked Katherine and they both went upstairs to the bedroom together.

“You sure messed up there, Davy.” Mike laughed. “Where did you meet her? Wait. I’ve guessed. She was one of the stewardesses on your flight home, wasn’t she?”

“Yeah, she was. Come on, Mike, I’m sure you’d do the same if you were in my position! She couldn’t stop flirting with me. It was hard to resist her. I mean, you can’t miss that figure of hers.” Davy went over to the mirror to check his face. “She bloody well scratched me with her ring—look, it’s bleeding.” He pointed to a small graze on his cheek, picking up a Kleenex to wipe it.

“Something like this was bound to happen one day, Davy. Having so many dates with that many chicks was an accident waiting to happen,” Mike replied.

“I’m just making the best of what I was given. I can’t see myself settling down with one bird for a good while. You and Pete are getting to be like an old married couple, having quiet nights in. Come on, guys, you’re still young—get out and enjoy yourself.”

“Davy, I’m happy with how me and Mike are. I like spending time in together.”

“Come on, Pete, you’ve never been with a chick, so you can’t really comment. Micky, you know what I mean. I know you’re happy with Gemma right now, but a guy needs something to fall back on. I know some chicks that would date any of the three of you.” Davy sighed and shook his head.

“Well, Pete’s got a date with an eighteen-year-old on Friday, if you must know.” Micky couldn’t resist telling Davy the news.

Pete was gonna answer, but they heard the two girls coming down the stairs. Martha was in her uniform and fully made up. She was about five foot ten in her heels. She came and stood beside Davy and looked down at him, then thrust a piece of paper at him.

“Here, take your number back. I don’t need it. I knew I should’ve gone off with that older guy, but you just had that twinkle in your eye. At least I can look up to him—no offense, but your height… Well, you’re still a kid. I need a real man who knows exactly how to treat and look after a woman in every area.” She laughed. “At least I didn’t become another notch on your single bed post.”

“Are you ready to go?” Katherine asked her. “Davy, I wouldn’t bother trying to contact me again, and by the way, you have met Mary before—you were drunk and tried chatting her up, remember? She turned you down! We met the next date and I took advantage of you offering me a second chance.”

Martha was looking through her purse and showed Katherine a piece of paper. “You know this place? The guy said he’d be at this club tonight, and he said to meet up if I wanted, asked me to bring a friend for his brother too—you up for it?”

“Yeah, why not? Bye, Davy, I need a real man not a boy. Either of you two single?” Katherine asked Pete and Mike and winked at them.

“No,” they both answered in unison, shaking their heads.

“Okay, never mind. It’s your loss. You have a good life, Davy, and look after yourself. You know what, it’s a shame Alan didn’t hit you—you would’ve deserved it. Come on, Martha, let’s go.” She put her arm in Martha’s and they both left the pad.

Davy didn’t know what to say, He looked in shock. Micky went up and slapped him on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I bet you’ll have forgotten about this by tomorrow and got another date lined up.”

“I’m sorry, guys, I didn’t mean for that to happen. I didn’t expect anyone to disturb us, but at least I won’t bump into Martha again. She lives in New York—she changed flights with another stewardess, and I wasn’t planning on seeing Katherine again.” He went to put the tea kettle on. “Thanks for coming to help with that guy, though.”

“No problem, Davy, you know we’ve all been busy working while you took off home…did you know that Alan guy was after your blood?” Mike asked him.

“I heard that someone was after me, but I really did have a family issue. My sister’s having a baby—she wanted to tell all the family together. We had a great party, and I caught up with some old friends. It was a good week.”

“You should really think about how you treat girls, Davy,” Pete added before Davy could say anything else. “What would you say if you knew another guy was treating one of your sisters like you do chicks? What would you do? How would you react to him?”

“I’d wanna kill him, messing my sister around. Well, if they didn’t get a good punch in first—you’ve not met my sisters. They’re scary and can look after themselves,” Davy answered back.

“I’d be the same. You have to look out for them, especially with me being the eldest. Mom would go mad if I didn’t.” Micky decided to add to the conversation.

“Let’s leave it at that. I just think you’ve not met the right person yet, Davy, and when you do, I really hope you’ll see the error of your ways and learn from your past mistakes. Come on, Mike, Micky, let’s get back to the club. We’re supposed to be helping those kids rehearse.”

“You coming with us, Davy?” Mike asked.

“No, it’s okay. Sorry, guys, but I do need to catch up on some sleep. I didn’t get any on the flight back. I’ll see you tomorrow and thanks for coming. I’m grateful for that.”

“You’ve got the pad to yourself, because I’m at Gemma’s tonight. I just need to collect a few things she left in our room. Give me five minutes, Mike, and I’ll be ready to go.”

“Sure, we’ll wait in the car for you, Micky. Davy, let’s just forget about what’s gone on today. It’s a new day tomorrow, the girls will be home in a few days and Pete and I will be back at the pad. Life will hopefully get back to some form of normality,” Mike said as he followed Pete to the car.

About half an hour later, they were all back at the Dive, Micky and Pete joining in with the kids’ music, Mike going upstairs to make a coffee. He found Gemma in the kitchen.

“You don’t mind, do you? Thought I’d make you some dinner. I did cheat and get a few things from the diner, but I’m cooking you some fries to go with the burgers and mac and cheese.”

“Thanks, but I need this first.” Mike said, pouring himself a coffee when the machine was ready.

“Bad day? Listen, if you ever need to talk and get anything out, I’m a good listener. The offer’s always there. I find it helps to get things out in the open.”

“It’s fine, but thank you. You’re a good influence on Mick. I think you’ve changed him for the better. He didn’t follow Davy’s lead, and you seem to have made him grow up.”

“That’s good to hear. I have some friends who I could introduce to Davy, good, settled girls, not teenagers… You think it could help?” Gemma asked.

“I don’t know. He’ll settle when he’s ready, I suppose. Best not to interfere,” Mike replied.

“Why don’t you go downstairs with the others? I’ll give you a shout when the food’s ready. Don’t tell Micky, but I’ve got apple pie and ice cream for dessert.”

Mike was soon sitting down, watching the guys on the stage with James, Jack, and Paul. Pete was playing the keyboard and Micky was shaking Davy’s tambourine. They were sounding much better, Jack was even trying some singing. _Not a bad voice._ Mike thought.

Pete’s idea of mixing classical music with rock and roll was sounding good. Micky stopped playing and came over to sit with Mike. “They’re doing well, aren’t they? Better than I thought. It’s been great helping them with this project.”

“Yeah, Mick. It’s doing you some good too. You’re changing for the better.”

“Oh, thanks, Dad.” Micky wrapped an arm around Mike and pulled him in for a hug. “You look and feel a little tense though. Aything I can do to help?”

Mike prodded Micky’s chest with a finger. “Hey, you in there, where’ve you hidden our favorite goof Mick and replaced him with a different guy?” He laughed.

“He’s still in there, Mike. Anytime you need him, he’ll be there for you, and anyway I could ask the same about you—where’s big tough Mike gone? I don’t miss him too much, because I kinda like the new version.”

“I guess we’ve both changed for the better, don’t you think?”

“Pete calls you his furry teddy bear, doesn’t he? He’s turning you soft in your old age.” Micky put his hand up and ruffled Mike’s hair. “I miss sharing a room with you, our late-night raps. Davy just talks about birds, girls and more chicks. I’m gonna buy him a new black book for Christmas, but do they make them with enough pages? I wonder if he rates them? You know, marks out of ten.”

“I’ve no idea, but don’t you go telling anyone I’m softening. Yeah, I guess being with Pete has changed me. He makes me happy, and I hope he feels the same way about me.”

“Mike, you can tell he does! You were made for each other. The perfect match. That’s why we helped, gave you the push you needed…otherwise you’d never have got together.”

“You’re never gonna let us forget that, are you?” Mike smiled as Micky shook his head.

“Do you blame me? You owe me.” Micky winked. “You can help me find a decent chick for Davy, someone who can cope with him and tame him… Do you think that a woman like that exists out there?”

“I’ve no idea. Where should we look first?” Mike laughed.

“She’s bound to be somewhere. She could be the female version of him.” Micky said.

The band soon got through some covers and played Pete’s music a few times, when a man came into the club and came over to Paul “Are you all nearly finished?” He turned to the Monkees. “Thanks for helping them out. Paul can’t stop talking about what he’s been doing.”

“No problem. We’re enjoying it too, and they’re playing really well,” Micky said to him.

“I heard them the other evening—I sneaked in when they didn’t know. I didn’t want to embarrass Paul. They sounded good, and it’s good to see them focused on something worthwhile. It’s learning a new skill as well. I know one of you has been teaching them at their school?”

“Yeah, that’ll be Pete over there on the keyboards. He wrote some music for them too.”

“Good. We need to go, kids, your mom and aunt are getting an early dinner ready.”

The guys packed up their instruments and were soon on their way out. Mike came over to Micky and Pete from where he’d been in the office sorting out a alcohol order. “Who was that guy? I’ve seen him here a few times over the past week. He doesn’t look like he’s the type to hang around clubs, don’t you think?”

“It was Paul’s dad. He came to take them home, and he did say he’d come to watch them the other day, so you probably saw him then,” Micky answered.

“I guess so. Come on, we better get things ready for the night. I’ll be glad when Ronnie’s back. It’s been hard work, and long hours, for Pete too, covering for Ronnie and he took extra on as well.”

They had a break for dinner after the kids left and soon got on with the rest of the evening, which went by without any problems.

The next morning, Mike decided to start cleaning up the apartment. They hadn’t really left a mess, but he didn’t want the girls to think they’d been lazy. He took advantage of the girls’ washer and laundered some of his and Pete’s clothes ready to pack for going home.

Micky and Davy arrived back at about half past eleven. They’d been out early to submit the license forms to City Hall, and Mike was hoping things had gone well.

“Well, Davy worked his magic as always, and the receptionist got us in to see the mayor.”

“I got myself a date for tonight with her too—she’s a good-looking bird. I can tell she’ll be up for some fun. She’s coming to pick me up here. She’s got a little sports car, and I bet she’s as racy.”

“Davy, just be careful…remember the trouble last night,” Mike made a point of reminding him.

“Already asked her. She’s an only child and single. I’ve learnt something, you know. Well, we got about ten minutes with the mayor—”

Micky interrupted, taking over. “He’s a decent guy, I’d say. He mentioned that he’d talked to Susan’s dad and offered to help us, but only after our part of the bargain is done: if Susan is happy after Friday night, he’ll sign and approve everything, so you need to make sure Pete’s ready for this.”

“I’ll work on Pete and help him with how to treat a bird. Don’t worry about anything,” Davy added.

“I’ll be there, too, remember, so I can help, and there’s hotel rooms provided for the guest. I found out me and Gemma have been allocated one. S’good for me, but just to warn you, Susan’s family name is on the list for two rooms.”

Mike stepped back, hitting the table. “What, you don’t think she’ll be expecting Pete to stay over—”

Mike was interrupted by the ringing phone. “Hello. Yes, it’s Mike…what…I thought they’d be home tomorrow…how much longer? Okay, thanks for letting me know.”

“What,s happened? Who was that?” Micky asked.

“Ronnie’s dad. The girls won’t be back tomorrow, and he doesn’t know when they will either. He didn’t have much time to say anything as he’s rushing off to go to them.”

Mike now started to worry what was up. Was it a problem with either of the pregnancies? And if there was, how was he going to tell Pete? He already knew Pete would be freaked out if he had to spend a night with Susan. _I don’t want to be the bearer of double bad news… What am I gonna do?_


	17. Chapter 17

Mike was waiting for Pete when he got back later. It was now nearly five o’clock and the staff were starting to arrive. Micky was in the living room with him. This evening was also the first night of Fate, the girl group, performing. They were going to be there at about six to set up and do a sound check, and Mike was hoping they’d go down well with the crowd, but at the moment his thoughts were all over the place. _How am I gonna tell Pete? He’s gonna panic too much._

Micky seemed to to be able to sense his thoughts. “You wanna talk about anything? I can tell you’re worried about something.”

“Pete’s due back any time, and I need to work out the best way to tell him what’s happened. How do you think I should break the news, and as carefully as possible—you know what he can be like at times.”

Micky didn’t get chance to answer before the door opened and Pete stormed in. He didn’t seem to be in a good mood. “What news do you have to break to me? Go on, tell me now if it’s something that I need to know!”

“There’s also something else I need to tell you… We’re gonna be staying on here for a bit longer. Ronnie’s dad called and said they wouldn’t be back tomorrow.” Mike tried to gauge Pete’s reaction.

Pete threw his bag down on the floor and sat beside Mike on the couch. “Can you leave us alone please, Micky? I think we’ve got something we need to discuss.” Mike could feel the tense atmosphere. He knew Pete wasn’t happy, but wasn’t sure what to do.

Micky got up. “I’ll be down in the bar if you need me.” He shut the door behind him.

“All right.” Mike decided to get straight to the truth. “I need to tell you that we’re gonna be staying on here for a bit longer. Ronnie’s dad called and said they wouldn’t be back tomorrow.” He tried to gauge Pete’s reaction.

“Do you know when they’ll be back?” Pete stopped for a minute and look worried. “Is everything okay with them? Is one of them ill? Did he say why?”

“He said nothing apart from them not coming back. I called back straight away and he’d already left and his partner said he’d gone to see Ronnie.”

“So, you didn’t know I’d handle this. Mike, I’m not some fragile little flower. I can handle bad news you know. You need to stop treating me like a kid or a chick. Are you scared I’ll relapse, go run off and get drunk or something? Panic about things?”

“I’m sorry. I guess I was worried about you. I should stop treating you like that. We’re both tired and worked up. Things haven’t been going too well, have they. It’s been hard.”

“I know we’re both exhausted and it’s putting a strain on our relationship, but we need to be honest. You don’t need to hide your feelings from me.” Pete stared at him.

“Okay, I just didn’t want to stress you out. You’re doing a lot more than me—I’m getting stressed out just running the club, but you’ve been teaching, working at the school and hotel, the session work and supporting me as well. I didn’t want to add any more pressure on you.”

“Like I said, I can deal with things. You’ve been toughening me up, remember? Just tell me the truth. Remember what we promised, okay, Michael?”

Mike nodded a yes.

“Do you think we should maybe call the hospital or even the doctor? I doubt they’d tell us anything—we don’t even know where they’re staying.” Pete sat up. “Could anything be wrong with either of their pregnancies?”

“I think we just need to wait and hope he calls us back. Try not to worry. Hopefully they’ll both be all right. They’re both pretty tough.”

Mike pulled Pete close to his chest and started to stroke his fingers through his hair, to help relax himself as much as Pete. “All right, babe, let’s start all over again. How’s your day been?”

Pete rested his head on Mike’s shoulder and sighed. “I’m glad today’s over. It’s been a long day and I’m tired. Things didn’t go well at the school today—I don’t think Mrs. Young likes me that much. At least I only have to work with her one more day. I don’t know how Vicky puts up with her.”

“How did Susan’s exam go?” Mike asked him.

“She only just passed it. She doesn’t seem too bothered either. She just wanted to chat about Friday to me, about her new dress, and what she wants me to wear. I’ve got to go and see about a new suit tomorrow—least I don’t have to pay for it.” Pete lay down, putting his head in Mike’s lap.

“Well, Micky and Davy went to City Hall and Davy did his magic to get them in to see the mayor. He’s willing to approve the license, but only if Susan’s happy about how things go on Friday.”

“So it’s all up to me then. I’ll try my best, but I’m nervous,” Pete said, looking up at Mike.

“We can always get Davy to help you out, and Micky will be there too.”

“How’s your day been? You gonna get chance to finish early? I think Jacob’s in tonight, so ask him to lock up? I’ve missed you. It’s been a while since we made love.” Pete tried to convince Mike. “I’m sure they could manage without you for some of the night.”

“I need to be there in case the judge turns up, and it’s Fate’s first gig, so I wanna see how they do, see if people like their music. They’re quite different to the acts that normally play here.”

“I thought they were good at their audition. Folk bands are getting more popular, and they are different, with not having a drummer and Eliza on the banjo—she’s really good.”

“Are you gonna come down and listen to the band with me?” Mike asked him.

“I might just make a cup of tea and read for a while. I’ll come down and join you soon.” He smiled at Mike. “I promise, and I’m okay. I just need to have a bit of quiet time. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Of course not. I got some of your favorite chocolate for you. It’s in the bedside drawer—I didn’t want the others to find it and eat it,” Mike said as he got up to leave the room. “I’ll go fetch it in for you.” He was back in a few minutes and passed the bar to Pete.

“Thanks. Come here.” He stood and gave Mike a kiss, and hugged him. “Thanks for that. I’ll save you some. I’ll get dressed up and be down in about an hour or sooner maybe.” Pete headed off to the kitchen and Mike went down to the club.

Mike found Micky chatting to Alison the keyboard player from Fate, talking about Micky and Davy’s visit to City Hall to sort out the permit. Davy was sitting nearby with a blonde chick.

“Hey, Mike, this is Lisa. We met her this morning—she’s the mayor’s secretary. She came to watch the band and to see me as well, of course.” Mike noticed she seemed older than Davy. Her hair was in a beehive and she was quite made up with large false eyelashes that she battered at him, giving him a wink when Davy wasn’t looking her way, holding her hand out to him

“Nice to meet you, Mike, isn’t it?” she said with a smile.

“Likewise. Yeah, I’m Mike,” he replied politely, then turning his attention to Micky. “No Gemma tonight?”

“No, she couldn’t make it. She’s babysitting for her cousin—she offered as it’s her anniversary and doesn’t get the chance to go out that often. I offered to help, but she said to stay here and help you.”

Lisa went off to the bathroom with Alison, and Davy looked around. “Hey, Mick, you got any idea if any of those birds are single?” He winked just as Mike was approaching them.

“I can’t believe you, Davy! Didn’t you learn anything from what happened yesterday?”

“Ah, come on, Mike, you’d have been up for it too! Four birds, for us four guys! You and Micky are turning into boring old men since you’ve coupled up. I’m enjoying being young free and single, making the most of my charms while I’ve still got them.” Davy laughed at them.

“So you’re sharing out the little that you’ve got,” Micky answered back quickly. “I think Alison’s engaged—she wears a ring on her finger. I think the other three are single. Do you have any idea, Mike?”

“Faith asked if me and Pete wanted to go on a double date with her and Eliza, but I politely turned her down. They’re sisters, by the way, so don’t try and flirt with both of them.”

“Okay, yeah, sisters…not a good idea. Least they’re not twins. The other one’s the bassist. She’s not a bad looker. You arranged another gig for them? I can’t get to know her with Lisa around.” Davy thought a little and asked Mike.

“She’s called Tracy, and I was waiting to see if the crowd like them, and what Ronnie thinks before anything else is arranged,” Mike replied.

“I should be able to try and get her number, unless…”

“No. Before you ask, none of us are gonna be helping you out. Your dating has been causing enough problems lately. I don’t want to get involved,” Mike interrupted Davy before he said anything.

“All right. Cover for me while Lisa’s in the bathroom. I’ve just seen Tracy at the bar with one of the others—I can get her number and get Lisa a drink at the same time.” He winked at them, got up and walked over to the two chicks. 

“Hi, I’m Davy. The guys have told me all about your band. I’m looking forward to hearing you play. It’s so refreshing to see girls who do more than just sing. I mainly sing and play percussion in our group, but Pete’s teaching me the guitar and bass. That’s what you play, right? Maybe you could help me out? Pete’s busy with giving kids lessons, so he’s too busy to show me.”

Tracy smiled at him. “If you want, I’ll spend some time with you. I’m not as good as Pete, though. I play guitar as well. This is Faith, our singer and guitarist. Listen, I’ll give you my number and I’m sure we can arrange a time to meet up.” She gave Faith a look as if to say, _don’t bother he’s all mine_.

“Thanks! That’ll be great.” He took the piece of paper Tracy has scribbled on.

Faith grabbed her by the arm. “Come on, we’re due to start in a minute. I’m sorry to drag you away.”

Davy smiled at them both. “I’m gonna go and sit with my friends. I’ll call you tomorrow to sort something out.” Davy went back to the table just as Lisa was sitting back down.

“Are we going get something to eat later, or do you want to go to the movies?” she asked Davy as she checked the time on her watch.

“Let’s watch this new band first. How about the drive-in? It’s quite warm for November, or you could put the top down, and call at a diner on the way home? I’ve got the pad to myself tonight, haven’t I?” He glared at Micky to agree with him.

“Yeah, I might go to Gemma’s, or could I sleep here tonight, Mike?”

“If you stay here tonight, you can take the couch. We’re not using the girls’ bedroom.” Mike said the last part in a whisper in Micky’s ear. Mike suddenly felt a pair of hands cover his eyes. “Pete, s’that you, babe?” Mike asked, turning around, his smile matching Pete’s.

“Yeah, I’m feeling more relaxed now. You want a beer? I’m gonna get a coke.”

Mike nodded to him. “Yeah, thanks.” He watched Pete walk over to Jacob who was working the bar, and he was soon back, passing Mike his drink, stroking his hand as no one else was looking. He sat down beside him, sneakily putting his hand on Mike’s knee under the table and giving it a gentle squeeze. Mike put his hand over Pete’s just as he started to move it up his thigh. “There’s plenty of for that later, babe.” He winked at him. 

“I talked to Jacob. He says he’ll close up and do the office work too, so…” He checked no one else was listening. “We can sneak off and have an early night. You up for that? Some me and you time.”

“Always, babe. Sounds good. We need it too. I can’t wait,” he whispered into Pete’s ear, which had Pete smiling back at him with a wicked look in his eyes.

The band was part way into their second song by now.

“They’re good aren’t they.” Pete said to him when they’d finished that number, he looked around the room to see if people were enjoying them. He nudged.Mike, I hope Ronnie decides to give them a regular slot, people need to listen to this type of music more.” He stood up and started to clap loudly.

They played for about another forty minutes, mixing some original songs with recent cover versions of recent songs. Eliza took up another guitar when the banjo wasn’t needed. She came over to Pete and Mike when they had a break.

“Hey, Pete, I asked the girls and they think it’s a good idea… You wanna come up and join us on stage? I wanna have a go at a banjo duel! I saw a really good one on the Andy Griffith show, and I’ve never met anyone who was up for it. The banjo isn’t the most popular of instruments.”

“Go on, go for it. S’cool with me,” Mike said, noticing Pete’s wide beam. “I’d love to hear you. We don’t have that many songs for you to play on. He’ll do it, Eliza.” He wasn’t giving Pete a chance to say no.

“I’m tired, but yeah, let me go get my banjo from upstairs. Won’t be a minute.”

“Thanks for that. It’ll make him so happy. It’s his favorite instrument,” Mike said to Eliza.

“I wanna hear him play too,” she replied. Pete was soon back and tuning his banjo. Mike could see how much he was looking forward to playing. He knew music was Pete’s first true love, something they both shared.

About twenty minutes later, Pete and Eliza were both onstage and started with _Pick a Bale of Cotton_ and they went into the duel. Mike went up closer to watch, enthralled by how animated Pete was. Joy shone from his eyes, and it was infectious. The crowd were quietly listening—they’d probably not seen anything like it before.

Mike was loving seeing Pete in his element. He felt proud, and was even tearing up a little. Micky came over to him. “Groovy, isn’t it? They play off each other perfectly. I can see you’re happy.”

Pete was soon starting up, singing _Cripple Creek,_ Eliza letting him go solo. Then she joined him on some Pete Seeger songs, starting into _Turn, Turn, Turn_ and _If I Had a Hammer._

“Yeah, he’s doing so well. I think he needed this. We ought to do some solo slots. I reckon Davy would like that. You could try something different too.”

Soon they’d finished and the rest of the band joined Eliza onstage, starting on their second set, and Pete came to sit beside Mike back at a table. Mike had got them a few more drinks.

“Hey, look over at the tables to the left of the bar—isn’t that Paul’s dad?” Pete said, nudging Mike.

Mike took a quick glance. “Yeah, that’s him with the other couple of guys. They don’t look like our usual crowd we have in here, don’t you think?”

“No, but folk music attracts all ages. You can’t judge people on their ages or how they look or dress. I mean, would you think I had classical albums?” Pete asked Mike.

Mike looked Pete up and down and smiled at him. “No, I guess not, but nothing you do has ever surprised me. It’s one of the reasons I love you—you’re one of a kind.”

Jacob passed by, wiping down some tables and clearing glasses. Mike called him over. “You got any idea what those guys are in for?” He moved his head indicating at the table with the older group of men with Pauls dad.”

“No idea, but I’ve seen them all in here a few times over the past few weeks, but not all together at the same time before. Looks like they’re having a meeting about something. Want me to see if I can find anything out?”

“No, it’s okay. Micky, you go over there and act like a bar waiter…see if you can see what’s going on.”

“What you thinking, something bad? Could it be another complaint from City Hall? I’m sure we got that all sorted out today, but I’ll go see what I can find out?” Micky stood and Jacob got him an empty tray from the bar.

Davy came over to Mike and Pete. He wasn’t looking happy.

“What’s up with you? Why the miserable face?” Mike asked.

“Lisa took off. She heard I’d been flirting with another bird. She soon found another guy and took off with him, but things aren’t too bad. Least I’ve got a back up plan, and Tracy knows nothing, so we’re off somewhere when they’ve finished playing.”

“I have no idea how you get away with it. You always fall on your feet.” Mike shook his head.

“Where’s Micky? I need to tell him something. He isn’t gonna be happy about it, so you need to be there when I tell him.”

Micky came back. “I got them a round of drinks. They’re all looking at some paperwork. It had some scores on it… I’m wondering if they could be anything to do with the club contest,” he said to Mike.

“Maybe, but just sit down a minute. Davy’s got something he wants to tell you, don’t you?” He glared directly at Davy. “Go on, tell him.”

“Someone told me they saw Gemma in a bar with a lot of young birds and guys. Looks like you can’t trust her. Why don’t you flirt with Faith? I think she likes you. If Gemma’s doing it, why don’t you? It looks like she lied to you about what she’s doing, so come on, I’m sure the girls will be up for a double date.”

Micky seem to be tempted for a brief moment. Mike watched him thinking it over and was worried that Davy would encourage him further, but Micky paused for a moment. “No, Davy, no it’s okay. There has to be an explanation. She wouldn’t do that to me. Look what I thought the last time and it turned out to be nothing. I trust her.”

“All right then. It’s your decision, but I know I wouldn’t let a bird mess me about! You should be more like me—you don’t need to settle down yet. You’re far too young, so have some fun.”

Davy went off to talk to Tracy as she came off stage after they’d finished their gig. Micky looked at Pete and Mike. “You don’t think he’s right, do you? Could she be cheating on me? After the last time, she could think she can get away with it.”

Mike and Pete stared at each other, not knowing what to say.


	18. Chapter 18

Mike was trying his best to reassure Micky everything would be okay, while Davy was getting ready to set off with Tracy, busily combing his hair.

“Are you definitely not up for a double date, Mick? Faith’s going home on her own otherwise. She’s a good-looking bird and Gemma will never know anything about it. How would she find out?” He turned around and accidentally bumped into a chick.

“Hey, watch where you’re going,” she said to im. “Hi, Micky.” She ignored Davy’s apology and turned to Micky. “Good to see you again.”

“Hi,” he replied, looking puzzled.

“It’s Wendy,” the chick answered. “I’m Gemma’s friend. We met when she was pretending to date my brother’s boyfriend.”

“Oh yeah, I remember you now. Gemma’s not here tonight,” he stated.

“I know. I just left her. It’s her aunt and uncle’s anniversary party, and she’s gonna try to get away as quickly as she can…her family can be a bit too much at times. That’s why she didn’t invite you. I nearly knocked out one of her cousins—he couldn’t keep his hands to himself.

She left Micky with Pete and Mike. Davy had disappeared while they’d been talking. “There. See, Mick, that’s a reasonable explanation. A family party she couldn’t avoid going to,” Mike said.

“Don’t always listen to Davy, Micky. Gemma’s a nice guy. I knew you could trust her.”

“Thanks, Pete. Yeah, I got it wrong last time. I’m lucky, I guess. I’m gonna keep an eye out for her, and hopefully she’ll be here soon. I’m gonna go and check on that group of guys again.”

“How can Davy be like that? It’s been like four chicks just in a few days. He needs to learn how to treat them better, don’t you think?” Pete said to Mike.

“I don’t think he’d listen to us. Not everyone’s like you, babe. It’s best to let him find out from his mistakes. He’ll hopefully change one day. He needs to grow up like Micky seems to be doing.”

Micky caught up with Paul’s dad on his own. “Hi. Do you mind me asking why you’re here again? Did you come to see that new group.” he quizzed him.

“Come this way with me. I can’t let the others hear me.” They walked off to a corner. “I’m judging the club. So are they—we’re just catching up, trying to make our final decision. I can’t say much but you’ve got through to the final three. I’m doing my best to push for you, after all you guys are doing for my kids.”

“Oh. Thanks for letting me know. I’ll leave you all to it.” Micky nodded to him. “I’ll come and collect your empty glasses.” He followed him back to his table.

When he finished, he came over to Mike and Pete, a big smile on his face when he noticed Gemma approaching the three of them. He pulled her in for a hug and kissed her.

“Someone looks pleased to see me. I tried to get here earlier. I guessed I missed the music.”

“Yeah you did, Gemma, but you’re here now. Can I maybe come home with you tonight? Davy wants the bedroom to himself, and I think Pete and Mike need some time alone. They don’t need me around as a third wheel.”

“Sure. We can leave anytime you want,” she replied. “Just give me a few minutes to talk to Wendy, let her know what I’m doing.”

“Sure. I just need to tell Mike something, then I’ll be ready soon.”

He made sure no one was listening to them before he started talking. “The guys over there are the judges of the club competition! You can’t tell anyone, but the Dive’s made it to the top three, and Paul’s dad is pushing for us to win. Do you know what the winners actually get?”

“In the paperwork, it goes on about getting some promotion in a magazine, and there’s also a cash prize too for first and second place, so either one thousand or five hundred bucks. That’s a lot of money, and the girls are gonna have quite a few new expenses with the babies, and Vicky giving up work.”

“He couldn’t say much else, but they should announce the winner soon. Listen, I’m going off with Gemma when she comes back. I’m sleeping at her place tonight, so I won’t need the couch.”

“Good, Mick. So we’ve got some peace and quiet, Pete, and we could go up soon. I need to see Faith. I’ll let them know they went down well. You enjoyed yourself up on stage with Eliza, too, didn’t you? I need to sort out their wages, so let’s go to the office.”

“I did. It was great. I haven’t done anything like that before. It was good to play some different styles of music, and she kept up well with me. I’ve never met a chick as into the banjo as much as me before.”

Faith and Eliza stopped by the office and Mike gave her their money. “Do you want to do another set next Tuesday? I’ll sort everything out with the manager—she should be back by then.”

“Yeah, that’ll be great! Same time, same pay?” Faith asked Mike.

Mike nodded.

“Can Pete and I do a short set together again too?” Eliza interrupted.

“That’s fine with me, if you’re up for it too.” Mike glanced at Pete. “You don’t mind, do you, Faith? You can do the same as tonight.”

“No, it’s all groovy. Anything for my sister. It was good to see her so happy up there, performing with Pete. Come join us at our rehearsals any time you want. You can work on some different songs.”

The sisters soon left, leaving Mike and Pete on their own. “You still up for an early night?” Pete asked Mike. Wrapping his arms around Mike’s waist, he tilted his head up and kissed him. “I’m gonna go upstairs and get things ready. Give me about ten minutes and come on up. I want to surprise you.”

“Of course I am. Sounds good. I can’t wait,” Mike answered, returning the kiss. He gently stroked Pete’s cheek. “I’ll go through a few things with Jacob.” They both headed out of the small room.

While Mike was finishing off with Jacob, Pete went into the bedroom, lit some candles and got some sandalwood incense burning. He also plumped up the pillows. He undressed and got into bed, picking up his book and deciding to read until Mike joined him.

He did some breathing exercises to calm himself down. _I can’t let Mike see how nervous I am. He’s got enough on as it is. He doesn’t need any extra stress from me._ He found himself getting more relaxed with each breath. He knew they deserved this time together. It had been a while since they’d been intimate, or even awake at the same time when they’d been in bed.

He’d felt bad about his outburst earlier, but it had been needed, he thought. _It’s like I told Mike, I don’t need people treating me like a child, like I can’t handle bad news. It only feels worse when the truth comes out. But I do love how he always tries to protect me._

His thoughts were disturbed when Mike came into the bedroom, and he couldn’t resist smiling at him. He put his book on the bedside table and moved the sheet down. Mike checked the time on his watch before he took it off. “This is the earliest I’ve come up to bed in the past week, and suddenly I don’t feel so tired. How ’bout you, babe, can you think of anything to pass the time?”

Mike smiled back at Pete and removed his clothes. Climbing into bed beside him, he pulled up the sheet and noticed Pete was already naked underneath. “Mmmm, just how I like you, all nice and warm too.” He got closer, their lips meeting in a strong kiss.

Mike moved on top of Pete, and moved one hand down until he found Pete’s growing erection, “All ready for me. I need this so bad. Looks like you do too.”

Mike felt Pete’s hand land on top of his. “Wait a little longer, Michael, I want us to come together, with you inside me. Will you do that for me?”

“I’ll do anything for you. Anytime you want, anything you need. You only need to ask.” He kissed the tip of Pete’s nose, then stretched his arm out to retrieve the lube from his bedside table. He lay on his side, encouraging Pete to do the same.

Within moments, they were kissing again, their bodies pressed against each another. “I need to get you ready for me, babe,” Mike whispered into Pete’s ear. He lubed two fingers up and grinned at his partner.

Soon he had them both inside Pete, twisting and scissoring them, doing his best to stretch and prepare Pete. “You’re tighter than normal, but it’s been a while, and I’m gonna make it up to you.” He made sure his fingertips touched Pete’s prostate, causing Pete to melt into him. He kissed Pete more fiercely, forcing his tongue into his mouth.

He held Pete’s face with one hand and reopened the lube one-handed and slicked up his cock, he moved Pete onto his back and parted his legs. Lying in the space between them, he lined his cock up with Pete’s hole and entered him gently at first, going slowly, easing into Pete. He heard Pete gasp and saw his eyes roll.

He thrust in fully to the hilt, his full length totally sheathed in Pete, as they moved together in perfect unison. “Oh my god, ’s’good. You are tight—it’s almost like our first time again.” He kissed Pete again as his cock hit Pete’s gland, and he started thrusting in and out, hitting Pete’s prostate on every other stroke.

Pete was soon getting very vocal, so Mike kissed him once more to quiet him down. Even though he loved to hear Pete scream, it was for his ears only. He hoped no one could hear downstairs. He could see Pete’s eyes darkening with lust, his chest and face flushed. Mike thought he looked so beautiful. _He’s all mine too. God, I love you so much. You’re the only one for me._

Pete smiled up at him as though he was reading his thoughts, and he nodded at him. “Love you, too Michael. This is where I belong, always in your strong arms, my furry teddy bear.”

“I ain’t going anywhere else, babe. Never gonna let you go, I promise you that. Love you too much. To lose you would be the worst thing ever.” He kept up his motion, pulling totally out to the tip, then thrusting in swiftly and deeply. He soon had one hand around Pete’s dick, stroking it in time with each of his motions,

“Michael, it feels so good. Love you inside me. We fit perfectly together, like jigsaw pieces.” Pete smiled.

“Hey, it’s no laughing matter, babe. I’m giving you everything I’ve got here, everything you need and deserve. They say opposites attract.”

“We’re like yin and yang, black and white, but those words belong together just like us. Oh my god, I’m nearly there. Michael, go faster, harder please. Didn’t you say you’d give me everything I want?”

“Okay, I aim to please.” He did exactly as Pete had asked. He felt he was putting everything into every ministration. He could feel it from the tip of his toes to his head and everywhere in between. He was ready to explode like a volcano. Pete was gripping his cock with his muscles.

“Michael, I’m coming,” Pete yelled and was soon screaming more, not in pain but pleasure. Mike was seeing stars as he released himself into Pete’s body. Their joint climax couldn’t be any more perfect, he thought.

He gently eased himself out of Pete, pulling him close into a hug. He found a T-shirt under his pillow and cleaned his hand and Pete’s torso and they both held each other and sensed themselves coming back down to earth. He knew that was a good description, as being in bed beside Pete was heaven, or his favorite place. It didn’t matter where they were as long as they were together.

“Thank you, love you,” he said, kissing the top of Pete’s head that was now resting on his chest. They were both covered in a sheen of sweat, Pete’s perfect hair damp and messed up and he looked contented, with such a smile on his face as he turned to gaze into Mike’s eyes.

“You’ve worn me out, babe, d’you mind if we get some sleep?” Mike said to him before Pete had a chance to say a word. Pete was soon asleep in his arms. Mike was almost joining him when Pete started talking quietly in his sleep. ‘ _I wanna make love to you, Michael, will you let me? I want to give myself to you,’_ Mike heard.

 _Anything you want, Pete. You only need to ask,_ he thought as he too gave in to slumber, both of them snoring softly in each other’s arms.

***

Mike woke up. He stretched over to the bedside table and checked his watch. It was just after ten o’clock. Pete was still asleep lying beside him, looking as relaxed as Mike felt. He didn’t want to get out of bed, but he needed a coffee to wake himself up. He decided to let Pete sleep in. He wasn’t due at the school today and hadn’t mentioned any lessons, so he deserved the rest, and Mike didn’t want to disturb him.

Mike was happy—he’d just had the best night’s sleep since they’d been staying in the girls’ apartment. He had things on his mind that he would have to talk to Pete about, especially after hearing what Pete had admitted, which was definitely something to think about, but it could wait for now.

He put on his briefs and a T-shirt, sat and watched Pete sleep for a while, then went to the kitchen to start up the coffee pot. He wanted to get his brain working and be ready to face whatever the day had to offer him.

He decided to read the morning papers and go through the club’s mail. He poured his coffee when it was ready and added some cream he found in the ice box. He was enjoying the peace and quiet when he heard someone coming up the stairs and Christine put her head around the door, followed by Micky.

“Hey, guys, come on in. Coffee’s just brewed, and there’s plenty of clean cups too.”

Soon the three of them were sitting at the table. “I’ve come in early because I need to take a few hours off this afternoon, if that’s okay with you, Mike. Annie’s got an appointment with the doctor, and I need to be at home to look after the twins. Dylan’s discovered crawling and we have to keep an eye on him all the time. Summer’s tried but hasn’t managed yet. She keeps falling to one side and gives up.”

“She could bring them here on her way. Me and Pete can look after them for you. I don’t think he’s got any work on today and I’m sure he’d love to spend some time with them,” Mike said.

“Thanks. That’s good of you. You might regret the offer when they’re here—you can’t take your eyes off Dylan! He can be very cheeky. That smile of his is lethal, and he’s learning how to act all innocent.” She laughed.

“Should be a piece of cake. We deal with Micky and Davy and their mischief. One’s causing more than the other lately, and it ain’t Micky for a change.”

“Okay. I’ll go and give Annie a call and get started on things downstairs. See you both later.” 

“Yeah, tell her she can bring them round anytime,” Mike shouted to her.

“Pete still in bed?” Micky laughed. “You worn him out again? I guess last night went well I can tell from that look of contentment on your face.” He nudged Mike, teasing him.

“Looks like everything’s good between you and Gemma too. You need to trust the girl. Don’t listen to what other people say and give in to your doubts. She’s good for you. I can she’s changing you for the better, and Davy’s not influencing you anymore, which I reckon is a good thing.”

“Well, I am older than him. He’s always been the youngest of four, and thinks he’ll always get his way. You won’t understand not having any siblings. Pete’ll know what I mean. Things change for the eldest as more kids come along.” Micky sighed and folded his arms.

“I’ve got cousins—I stayed with them, with my aunt, so I know a few things,” Mike replied.

“It’s not the same at all, Mike. When you’ve got younger siblings, they get away with too much and as the oldest you’re expected to know better. My sisters knew how to get what they wanted from Mom and Dad, and it always worked,” Micky tried to explain.

“All right, you win, Micky. I wish I’d had a brother or sister though—being an only child can be lonely.”

“Well, it’s like you’ve got four brothers now, so you’ll never be on your own. You’re stuck with us, whether you like it or not.” He reached over and ruffled Mike’s hair and laughed, before he got up to refill his coffee cup. “You got anything for breakfast? Gemma didn’t have much food in, and I’m hungry.”

“Have a look for yourself. There’s some cereal and bread in a cupboard. I’m not your goddamn slave, boy, and I don’t really think of Pete as a brother. That would be too weird and so wrong in every way,” Mike answered, shaking his head, trying to erase any thoughts of that from his mind.

“Yeah, I guess so. I need to erase that from my mind.” Micky flinched and poured some milk into a bowl of Froot Loops. “You should be a good mood today after getting it on last night, so come on, cheer up. I’m here to brighten up the rest of your day.”

“I am in a good mood.” Mike stopped talking as he heard some movement coming from the bedroom. “Mick, I think that’s Pete getting up. Can you make yourself scarce for a bit? I wanna talk to him in private.”

“Sure, I’ll take these into the living room. You just give me a shout if you want me for anything.” He left the kitchen.

Mike was preparing what he was going to say to Pete when the phone rang, Micky popped his head around the door. “Mike, Ronnie’s on the phone, and says she needs to talk to you.”

Mike followed Micky, a little apprehensive about what she wanted. He picked up the receiver and took a deep breath. “Hi, Ronnie, it’s Mike. It’s everything okay?” He asked, trying to stay as calm as possible, but braced himself for her answer.


	19. Chapter 19

“Hello, Mike, did my dad explain to you that we wouldn’t be back today?” Ronnie said.

“Yeah, but that’s all he said. We got no explanation, and I haven’t been able to get hold of him since. We’ve been worried,” he exclaimed.

“Dad went into a bit of a panic too and rushed here to see us. Everything’s all right now. Vicky just fainted and we had to get our doctor to come and see her. She’s much better now. It was a mixture of high blood pressure and morning sickness. She’s had some blood tests done and we’re just waiting for the results. She’s got to rest for now, and we’ve got to see the doctor again on Saturday.”

“So that’s when you’ll be back?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, around lunchtime if that’s okay with you. Dad paid for a few more nights here for us. I’m sorry about this and I’m so grateful for everything you’re all doing for us.”

“It’s been tough. I didn’t realize the hours you put in here, and god knows how Vicky copes. Pete and I have barely had any time together.”

Pete walked into the room while he was talking. “Who is it?” he asked, pointing at the phone.

“Ronnie. I’ll tell you everything in a minute. Sorry to interrupt, Ronnie. Pete just got up and is here beside me now. Ronnie says hi, babe. You gonna keep us informed if there’s any changes to your plans?”

“Of course. I’ll call you back later this evening. We’re just about to have a massage, to try to relax. Vicky’s idea. Then go for some lunch—it’s all rabbit food here. I really need a burger.” Ronnie laughed.

“I know what you mean. Health food places are propping up everywhere,” Mike replied, getting a stern look from Pete. “Sorry, but it’s true, babe.”

“Yeah, my first stop when we get out of here is gonna be a diner for some proper food. I feel like I’m losing weight, which in my current condition would be odd.”

“Speaking of food, Micky and Gemma have been doing well serving snacks here in the evening. They’ve been making a profit too.”

“Sounds good! You know in another world, between the four of us, Vicky and Pete and you and me would be better suited. These two are so alike.” Ronnie couldn’t help laughing.

“True but I’m happy with things the way they are. I need to update him, so you go and enjoy the pampering, and we’ll see you in a few days.”

“Thanks again. Bye, Mike,” Ronnie replied and hung up.

Pete sat with Mike on the couch. “So what happened? Is everything okay with her and Vicky?”

“Yeah. Vicky fainted and her doctor did some tests. She needs to go back at the weekend for the results, and they’ll both be back on Saturday.” Mike answered him as much as he could.

“That’s good. At least she got in touch and let us know and things can start getting back to normal. There’s nothing you’re not telling me, though, is there?” Pete glared at Mike.

“No, I promise. Ronnie says they’re staying on at the spa a few extra days so they can rest and relax. The only negative thing she talked about was the food. You’d like it though. It’s all health food.”

“I guess we’ll never be visiting a spa. Shame—it sounds groovy.”

“Only way you’ll get me in one of those places is if we can get Micky or Davy to sneak some decent food in for me daily! I ain’t eating just green food and salad every day,” Mike stated.

“There’s brown rice and much more! It isn’t all green. You should know that by now, Michael.”

“Okay. Well, there’s something else I wanna discuss with you. It’s something that you blurted out while you were asleep last night.” Mike decided to test the water.

“I don’t remember. It was probably just nonsense. Don’t worry. Just ignore and forget about it, unless it was something bad?”

“No, it was….” Mike didn’t get chance to elaborate as they were disturbed by Annie coming into the room with Christine, each of them with one of the twins.

“Hi, Mike, Peter. Thanks so much for helping us out. Where’s best to lay them down? They’re due a nap, so shouldn’t be too much trouble.”

Mike moved over and pointed in between him and Pete. Summer settled straight away but Dylan was enjoying himself with a rattle that seemed too quiet.

“We made a few adjustments to it! He was making far too much noise, but he still likes waving it about. He often has two as well.”

“God, he’s turning into a mini-Micky or Davy, I don’t know if that’s a good a bad thing.” Mike laughed.

Annie checked her watch. “My appointment’s in about half an hour, but I could do with being early. I shouldn’t be too long.” She looked down at the twins. “You two better be good for your uncles.”

“They seem to be okay,” Pete replied as Dylan hit him with his rattle.

“There’s a bag here with spare diapers, bottles and jars of food. I’ll warn you, they’ve started eating solid food, so it isn’t too pleasant when it comes out at the other end… Thanks again, and see you later.”

Mike and Pete stared at each other, then at Dylan and Summer, neither of them sure how to respond to Annie’s fleeting comment. “Don’t worry, it’s okay. I’ll do it, if its necessary,” Pete answered, seeing Mike turning his nose up, just thinking about it.

“Thank you. I knew there was some reason I loved you.” Mike couldn’t resist saying. “You’re better with them than I am.”

“Well maybe you should get some practice in? After all, we’ll have two more babies on their way soon. I’m looking forward to being a dad.” Pete was soon smiling, just thinking about the future.

Mike decided to change the subject and try to get back to what he’d been going to say to him earlier before they’d been interrupted. “Pete, are you happy with our sex life?”

Pete looked surprised at Mike’s unexpected question. “Michael, not in front of the babies, please. They’re at a very impressionable age. We don’t want them picking up any words to try to repeat.” He had Dylan on his knee and covered his ears. “I think he’s already acting more like Micky every day—look at the scrunched-up face he’s pulling.”

Micky walked in just as Pete was mentioning his name. “Oh, my favorite little man’s here. Hello, Dylan. I can say that because Davy’s not around to get jealous. Yeah, what a face he’s pulling, but I think that’s for another reason, Pete.” Micky laughed, wafting his hand.

“Go on, Pete, remember what you said. I think your nephew is filling his diaper by that smell.” Mike picked Summer up before Micky had chance.

“Okay, I know. I’ll go and change him in the bathroom.” He picked up Dylan and the baby bag and left the room as Mike got up and opened a window to let some fresh air in.

He sat down again, still with a quiet Summer in his arms. “Pete’s gonna be so much better than me when the babies are born. I’m nervous about it. I mean, we’ll have to get more involved than we are with the twins—being a dad’s gonna be a hard job.”

“Come on, Mike, you’ve been like a dad to the three of us for the past few years! It’ll be a breeze for you. You’ll be a great father, and they’re gonna be lucky kids to have the both of you guys.”

“Thanks, Mick. Like I said, you’re growing up. The kids are gonna love their Uncle Micky too.”

Pete was back in a few minutes with a much happier and sweeter-smelling Dylan. “I wouldn’t go in the bathroom for a while if I were you. I’ve never seen or smelt anything like that before in my life.”

“Your face is a little green, Pete,” Micky couldn’t resist telling him.

Annie was back over an hour later, and the twins were both having a nap by then, so Mike and Pete took them down to the car and waved Annie off on her way. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. They didn’t see Davy at all, and Gemma came around in the evening and helped Micky prepare and serve food in the club.

The next day was quiet. Mike kept himself as busy as he could. Pete had been in the studio most of the day, doing some session work along with Coco, and this carried over onto Friday morning. They had both been up early and taken advantage of some alone time, soaping each other up in the shower, them continuing the fun in the bedroom, until Pete forced himself to get dressed to leave, giving Mike a long kiss, which Mike was glad he was sitting down for. It was powerful and strong, leaving him breathless but wanting more.

Unfortunately, Pete was soon on his way, leaving Mike alone in the kitchen having a coffee and some toast, when Micky appeared from nowhere. “Morning. You’ve got the same matching grin as Pete had on his face when I passed him…I take it you’ve had a good night and morning.”

“Mm, sure have,” Mike replied, touching his lips, the feel of Pete’s kiss still lingering. “Did Davy turn up any time last night by any chance?”

“No, he strolled in this morning and went straight to bed, saying him and Tracy had been at a party until the early hours, and not to disturb him. So I left him on his own, and thought I’d come see what you were up to.”

“Nothing really planned for today. Are the kids band coming over after school to practice for the competition tomorrow?” Mike asked as he refilled his coffee cup.

“Yeah, I got some news for you if you’re interested… You know this party tonight? A friend of Gemma’s going with her folks and she’s got a spare ticket. We kinda told her about you, so do you want to go? She knows you’re attached, and you’ll be able to keep your eye on Susan and Pete.”

“You think it’s a good idea?” Mike wasn’t sure whether to agree. “What about the club?”

“Jacob and Christine are both working tonight. They can handle everything. You could do with a night away from this place. Should I tell Gemma that you’ll go with Wendy, Mike?”

“Wendy…from the other night? I’m not sure. My suits are back at the pad, and it is a bit short notice.”

“Don’t worry about that. I can go home, pick out something suitable for you to wear. I know you’re worried about Susan, and Pete might be less nervous if you’re there to support him.”

“Oh, okay then. I’ll do it. I’ll mention something to Pete when he gets back,” Mike replied.

“You’ll be sitting with me and Gemma too, and hopefully our table won’t be too far from Susan’s family.” Micky checked the time. “Give me the keys to the Monkeemobile and I’ll set off now.” Micky took the keys Mike passed him from the coffee table. “Won’t be too long.”

***

Micky was back in just over an hour. “I brought two suits, and some shirts so you can have a choice. I called Gemma and Wendy’s wearing a dark blue dress so I picked this gray one, thinking it would go with her outfit,” Micky suggested, putting the clothes on the couch.

“You been reading Davy’s magazines again, picking up fashion tips from him?” Mike asked.

“A little. Gemma gets quite a few too, and I often flick through them when I’m waiting for her to finish getting ready. I don’t understand why chicks and Davy spend so long deciding what to wear—I can be dressed and out the door in less than ten minutes.”

“You got sisters, so you’ll have seen it all before, Mick.”

“Yeah, but they were still a lot younger than me when I was at home, and Coco wasn’t dating at that time. She used to say having a brother like me put her off guys, that I was messy and lazy.”

“Well, you are messy! I’m so glad I don’t share a room with you anymore. Pete’s so much tidier and organized at times. He remembers where he puts things, unlike someone I know.” Mike laughed.

Micky helped Mike get things ready in the bar with no staff due in as the club wasn’t opening until the evening. Davy turned up with Tracy just before the kids arrived, and while Mike was trying to organize a replacement act for the night—the singer booked had to cancel, having come down with laryngitis.

“I can take his place and sing if you want. Tracy and I were gonna spend the night here anyway,” Davy offered. “Tracy could join me on stage too. She’s got a good voice and plays the guitar too.”

“That’d be good. I’d love to duet with you, Davy,” Tracy agreed.

“Thanks, Davy. I’m gonna be out at the mayor’s party with Micky and Pete, so you cool with that? I’ll tell Jacob and Christine you can both have free drinks all night.”

“No problem. Go enjoy yourselves. You owe me though, and I’m sure I’ll think of something you can do to repay me.” Davy laughed. “Come on, Tracy. Let’s sit down and go through a set list.”

When the kids arrived to rehearse, Davy joined in to sing with them. Pete hadn’t arrived from the studio, so Mike and Micky helped them out. Paul apologized for his sister not coming again, but assured them she’d be ready for tomorrow. He’d gone through the songs they’d decided to play with her. It was only a fifteen-minute set so they’d picked a few Beatles and a Mamas and Papas song and were going to end with the mixed classical and rock instrumental Pete had written for them.

Pete got back to the club just in time for them to go through their last number, which they played twice. Pete thought they’d done so well. Micky and Pete promised that they’d be there for support at the concert. Unfortunately, Mike had a meeting and had heard a rumor the judges would be visiting to reveal the result of the club contest.

After the kids had left and Paul’s dad had confirmed a few things with Mike, they all went upstairs to get ready. Mike and Micky were going to meet Gemma and Wendy at the hotel, but Susan’s parents had already prearranged to pick Peter up.

“I’m glad you’re gonna be there tonight, but I doubt I’ll get to see you. I’ll goon be sitting with people I’ve never met before. You look good in the suit though. Very smart.” Pete gave him a quick kiss.

“You look so much better than me and you got a new suit out of this too! That sky blue shade is cool…maybe I can help get you out of it later tonight.” He winked and whispered into Pete’s ear causing him to blush a little.

Pete left about ten minutes before Mike and Micky. Mike saw the town car that picked him up but didn’t get to have a look at Susan. Later, at the hotel, Gemma and Wendy waited outside so they could show the guys to their table, which wasn’t too near the stage were the mayor was going to make a speech and hold an auction after the three-course meal. The girls were both in long dresses and had their hair up.

“You look nice,” Micky said to Gemma as he took her hand.

“Likewise, handsome,” she replied then nudged Wendy to approach Mike, noticing they both looked a little nervous.

“Thanks for coming with us. I didn’t want to be here on my own, and don’t worry, I know about you and Pete, is it? We’ve already seen he’s here at one of the front tables. He looks like he’s scared to be here, with the Richards family too.”

“Let’s go enjoy the girls’ company and good food, Mike,” Micky said, nudging him. Mike was too busy trying to see where Pete was, but eventually noticed him and caught Pete’s eye, which got a smile back from him.

Mike enjoyed the company. Gemma’s parents asked him questions about the band and seemed interested in what he and Micky had to say. Wendy parent’s were barely talking to each, and didn’t get involved in any conversation.

The food and wine were flowing all night. Mike had enjoyed a steak for his main course, and after the dessert which Micky had managed to finish off what Gemma left, as well as his own, a duo started to play until it was time for the mayor to start his speech.

“They were good, but we could do a better job. Least we’d liven up the place and get the crowd up dancing! D’ya think Susan could put a word in to get us the gig for the next party?” Micky said.

The auction that followed was businesses offering special items and packages. Mike watched all the people bid high, and hoped Gemma did her best to make sure Micky didn’t do accidental bidding. They couldn’t afford the prices these rich folk were offering. Each table had a few numbered paddles and at least the ones on theirs wasn’t raised by anyone.

He noticed Mr. Richards was competing with another man for a spa package, and could see his wife encouraging him to go higher. She obviously wanted that at any price. Susan didn’t move from Pete’s side all night, and Mike could tell that he looked uncomfortable.

“Do you want one of us to try and talk to her?” Gemma said. “Me and Wendy could see if she wants to get away from her parents.” Mike shook his head. “No problem. We’re off to the ladies’ room—see you guys soon.” Gemma got up and Wendy followed her.

Micky was talking to a waiter who’d brought over some drinks. “Here Mike, have a beer and chill out a little.” He passed over a bottle to him. “It’s good here—they never asked my age.”

Mike turned around and saw Susan and her parents had disappeared, and Pete was now sitting alone. He was about to get up when the girls returned. “We found Susan and her mother in the restroom,” Gemma announced to Mike.

“I wondered where they’d gone. I was gonna go talk to Pete, before they got back.”

“They won’t be back. They’ve had to leave. I overheard her mother saying her husband was arranging a car to pick them up. Sounds like a family emergency or something. Susan didn’t look too happy,” Gemma replied.

Wendy’s parents informed her they were about to leave. She’d already let Mike know they’d decided not to use a room for the night—she had to be up early for work.

They all said their goodbyes. Gemma’s dad had got their hotel keys and passed one to Gemma before they left the table. “Well, Micky? Are you coming up to the room with me?”

“Yeah, one minute. That okay with you, Mike? What are you gonna do?”

“I’ve only had a few drinks, so I think I might go back to the club. I’ll get there before it closes. You go have a good night—don’t worry about me,” Mike answered, checking the time on his watch.

“Thanks, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Micky replied, but Mike noticed he was looking directly at something behind him. Mike suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around. He smiled as he looked up into Pete’s eyes. Pete had a key in his hand.

Pete bent down close to his ear and gave him a wicked grin. “I heard you say you were gonna leave, and I’m hoping I can maybe persuade you to change your mind.”

“Oh, were you, babe? You got something planned?”

“Well, I’ve got the key to one of the best suites in the hotel. It’s got a huge jacuzzi tub big enough for two, king-size double bed, champagne, free minibar and twenty-four-hour room service.”

“You trying to tempt me there, babe?”

“It’s got a big television too… You wanna join me to watch the late horror movie? Cuddle up to me in bed in case I get scared? I might need my big furry teddy bear.”

Mike got up and followed Pete to an elevator. They were soon entering a huge room just as Pete had described, with a TV at the end of the bed. “So, all you wanna do is watch a movie? I’m sure we can think of something better to do.”

Pete took off his suit jacket as Mike removed his. “Okay, what do you suggest, Michael? Bath then bed? We’ve got all night.” He laughed as he kissed him, before dragging him willingly into the bathroom.


	20. Chapter 20

Mike woke up a little disorientated. He knew he wasn’t in his bed at the pad, but it didn’t feel like the bedroom at the apartment where they’d been staying for over a week now. The sun was coming in through the window at a different angle, which was on the other side of the room, and the bed felt huge, but one thing reassured him—Pete was asleep in his arms. That was the only thing that mattered. His world was perfect.

The comfort of the warm body beside him was all he needed right then. The world outside and the rest of the day could wait. The two of them together here was all he wanted…well, apart from the john. He pulled one arm from under Pete and moved slowly, swinging his legs off the side of the bed. He went to the bathroom and put on one of the robes that was hanging up in there.

He decided to have a look around the suite. There was a lounge with a piano. He’d try not to let Pete see that. They’d already eaten the snacks and chocolate that they’d found in the mini bar, and Mike had persuaded Pete to have some champagne. _Why not? We’re not paying for it, so might as well take full benefit of the room._

He found the room service menu, looked through and chose what to order for breakfast. _Now what would Pete like?_ He phoned and asked for coffee, herbal tea, waffles, maple syrup, bacon, eggs and fruit. If they didn’t eat everything, they could take the fruit home. Breakfast soon arrived on a trolley with a few morning newspapers. 

Pete woke up just after the waiter left. “Ooh, something smells nice,” he said, as he started to sit up.

“I thought I’d order breakfast, and plenty too. After last night, I’ve got quite an appetite. You hungry, too?” Mike asked, putting some waffles on a plate and pouring some syrup over them. Pete started to get up. “Stay there. I’ll bring it over, and there’s tea too.”

“You’re spoiling me, Michael. Thank you.”

Mike brought over the drinks, then helped himself to waffles, syrup and bacon, also bringing over the plates of toast and egg and placing them all on the bed.

“It’s like a picnic! Scrambled, fried and boiled eggs—couldn’t you decide how you wanted them?”

“Nah, I forgot and just asked for eggs, so at least they gave us a good choice.” Mike picked up a fork and fed some of Pete’s waffle to him, then had a forkful himself.

“Could get used to this,” Pete said, picking up a banana to chop and add to his plate.

“Might as well make the most of it. We deserve this, a break from the madness.”

“I wonder if Micky’s spoiling Gemma like this.” Pete laughed.

“Knowing him, it’ll be the other way round. Do all the rooms come with free room service? If not, they might have to go down to the buffet.” Mike took some strawberries and fed Pete one.

“What kind of room are they in? I know this suite was booked for Susan’s parents. They said I could use it as a thank-you, and it came with more benefits than the room that Susan was going to stay in.”

“Ah, okay…you think she was gonna ask you to share her room?”

“I don’t want to even think about that, Michael. It had twin beds, but it turned out better and to our benefit too. If you wanna find out where Micky is, I’m sure reception would tell you.”

They finished their breakfast and were dressed just as there came a knock at their room door. Mike went to see who it was, finding Micky outside.

“Hey, can I come in? Wow, look at the size of this room! Ours was like a broom cupboard compared to this—how’d you two get so lucky?”

“Got it thanks to Susan’s parents leaving and giving Pete the keys, so how could we say no?” Mike laughed. “You checked out, then?”

“Yeah.” Micky threw his bag on the bed and looked around. “Wow, jacuzzi bath and separate shower.” He winked at Mike. “You two leaving all this food? Why not ask for a doggy bag? I would.” Micky took a banana. “We ate in the buffet, because we would’ve had to pay for room service.”

“I bet you ate enough though,” Mike answered. “And I bet you’re taking home your leftovers?”

“Sure am. That’s why I filled my plate and went back a second time. I’m not stupid, you know. Could take some for Davy? Go on, at least put the fruit in a bag. Use mine.” Micky passed Mike his to fill.

“Help yourself to what you want, Mick. We’re checking out soon, aren’t we, Mike? Remember we’re meeting the kids—it’s the band competition, and we promised to go with them for support,” Pete reminded Micky.

Mike and Pete went to the reception desk to check out. Pete had to wait a few minutes while the receptionist looked for an envelope that had been left for him, which he took and put in his bag.

Mike dropped Micky and Pete off at the theater where the event was taking place. “Good luck, and if you want a ride back, just call me or get a cab back to the club. I can’t stay. I’m sorry, but I think things are gonna be busy today.”

“No worries. See you later.” Pete reached over and squeezed Mike’s hand, not risking too much intimacy in a public place. “Bye, Michael.”

Micky had already found the band when Pete got in. Paul’s sister was there with them, but looked a little bored with the waiting around. “There’s fifteen bands in all, and we’re next to last. The second group’s just started.” James pointed at the stage. There was quite a large crowd watching and the judges had a table set up near the front.

“Near the end’s a good thing. You’ll stick in their mind more, and you get to see what your competition is like, so you can try and do better than them,” Micky said to the kids.

“One of the bands has been disqualified! Because the lead singer was small, they thought they could pass him off for eighteen or under, and turned out he was twenty-two! We had to show proof of our ages before they gave us our time slot,” James said to them.

“Alice thought changing into a minidress and putting on some makeup might help, but I’m not so sure. We don’t need her looking older than she is. The bands all have to be eighteen or younger,” Paul added.

“You need to concentrate on the music. Don’t be concerned about how you look. Watch the judges—they’re mainly making notes, and they want to hear how you sound,” Pete stated.

“The lead singer of that group’s cute, though, and there’s not many girls around here. I think I’ve only seen two more all morning. Don’t some realize it’s a good way to meet more guys? Paul, I need to learn an instrument,” Alice mentioned before she went over to talk to a guy from another band.

“Sorry about that. She isn’t into this for the same reasons as us. It’s a little embarrassing being her brother at times. She gets bored easily, and can be very flirty,” Paul said to them.

The others settled and watched the other bands as they played their sets. There were quite a few different styles of music, R&B, country, folk and rock and roll… A girl even did opera, and a guy and chick danced together and did a duet. The judges were frantically writing notes and conferring with one another.

“Go on—you’re next. I don’t think you’ve got too much to worry about. At least you aren’t repeating any songs. We heard _Johnny Be Good_ three times in a row, and only one of the singers got the lyrics right.” Micky pushed James and the others up to the side of the stage.

“Next group please,” one of the judges shouted and they all took their places and started up their first number. Alice had a powerful voice on her, edgy and rocky, and she stood out.

“She’s good. They’re good,” Pete said, grasping Micky’s arm nervously.

“Pete, you’re not up there performing, so why you nervous? Don’t worry about them. We’ve done all we can to help them out. Paul’s a much better drummer after my help and advice.”

“Sorry, Micky. I’m just hoping they do well. I feel responsible for them. I suggested they did this competition, built their hopes up… The judges are writing quite a few notes about them.” Pete seemed to be trying to convince himself that he wasn’t scared for them.

“You can loosen the grip on my arm a little. You’re holding on a bit tight.”

“Ooh, I’m sorry, Micky.” Pete quickly let go and put his hand down by his side. “I didn’t realize her voice is quite powerful.”

“Yeah, she’s got a big pair of…lungs.” Micky laughed. “We’d sound good together, and she sure can shake her maracas and ass. She could stand in for Davy if he goes away again.” 

“Maybe best not to let her too near Davy, but then again, she’s as flirty as him! Imagine them together—they’d be a match for each other, don’t you think?”

“Pete, I don’t want to think of them together. She’s definitely the female version of him. Oooh, they’re going into the classical rock mix now, your song.” Micky saw Pete pay more attention to them.

Both Micky and Pete were speechless watching them. They started off playing quietly, deep concentration on all the boys faces, Paul drumming gently, then suddenly getting faster and louder. The judges actually looked up and watched them. One dropped his pen and was open-mouthed. Alice now had a tambourine with her maracas.

Other groups seemed to be watching them, surprised at what they were hearing. Apart from the music, no one made a sound. The guys ended the song with a loud Eastern-sounding guitar solo and a roaring drum crescendo, then nothing but perfect silence as the guys finished and took a bow.

Pete had been watching James’ fingers carefully and was smiling widely. “Wow, Mick, it’s better than I ever imagined! What do you think?” he asked. “I wish Mike was here to see this.” He then seemed a little disappointed after that comment.

“Pete, I bet he’d be so proud of you. We could play something like that! It was like something out of a movie. You ought to write something for an orchestra. You’d be so good at that.”

“No way, Micky, I couldn’t do that. I’m nowhere good enough to compose for an orchestra. You know how long it takes me to write a song. My notation book’s got lots of unfinished music and lyric. Mike’s a much better songwriter than me.”

“Don’t put yourself down,” Micky answered.

The band came down to sit beside them, all lookingd nervous, Alice wasn’t with the boys, preferring to stay backstage.

“What did you think? Was it okay?” James asked the two of them. “Do you think we did enough?”

“You were brilliant, the best so far. Look at this next act.” Pete pointed at the stage. “They’ve no chance of competing with what you did up there! You really were the best of the competition, and I’m not saying that because I’m biased.”

The last band finished and the judges disappeared for a while. About twenty minutes later they returned and all the groups were advised to get ready for the results to be announced. A table was set up on stage with three trophies and one of the judges came up to a microphone.

The third and second-place bands were announced and they went up to receive their trophies. The four kids looked at one another, resigned to the thought all was lost. “In first place, therefore the winners, are the Harrisons!”

The boys jumped up and started hugging each other.

“We did it, guys! We won!” Paul exclaimed.

“I didn’t even think about what you called yourself as a band name,” Pete stated as he and Micky were pulled into a group hug.

“It’s our surname. We couldn’t think of anything else. Come on, guys, we need to get up there.” Jack grabbed his brother’s arm, encouraging the others to go with them.

The band were presented with a large trophy, and a cash prize of two hundred and fifty dollars. The head judge said they’d been most impressed with their original and very different instrumental number. The kids ran back down to join Micky and Pete, hugging them again.

“Thanks! We couldn’t have done it without you guys,” James said, taking Pete’s hand and giving him fifty dollars. “Here. Have a share of the prize money.”

“I can’t take this. No, James, you won the contest.” Pete tried to force James to take the cash back.

“Pete, without your music, we wouldn’t have won. You wrote it. You all helped us so much. You deserve it, so please keep it. We all want you to have it.” The other three nodded in agreement.

Paul and Alice’s dad arrived as they were packing up their instruments. He offered Pete and Micky a ride, stating that he needed to call at the club to see Mike about something. He dropped off the kids on the way.

Paul couldn’t contain his excitement, telling his dad everything about their performance and their shock of winning. Alice seemed to be happier that she’d picked up some phone numbers from some of the guys from the other bands, and even had a date arranged for that night.

Mike was upstairs as Jacob and Christine had got everything in the club ready last night, and Christine had arrived about thirty minutes after Mike got in from the hotel. He sat at the kitchen table with the local papers—there was a story on last night’s mayor’s party in a few of them.

Christine was taking the chairs off the tables as the guys came in. “Mike’s upstairs,” she said, noticing Pete and Micky. She then spotted Paul. “Do you want me to give him a shout?”

“I’ll let him know. I need to go to the bathroom,” Pete said, heading for the door to upstairs. Mike got up and wrapped his arms around him.

“How did things go? How did they place?” he asked Pete.

“They won! They even gave me a share of the prize money. I tried to say no to it.” He took out the cash from his pocket and gave it to Mike. “Here, have it towards any bills or expenses. We all helped them out, right? Paul’s dad’s downstairs. He’s come to see you. I need the john—be back down soon.”

When Mike got to the club, Paul was at the bar, drinking a coffee, and Christine had got one already poured for Mike. They shook hands and Mr. Harrison smiled. “It’s been a good day today. I’m proud of my two kids, of what they achieved, and I know it’s all thanks to you guys.”

“It was our pleasure to help them out. They deserved to win,” Mike said as Pete came and stood with them. “It was more Pete and Micky who helped them, though.”

“Well I’ve noticed a change in the boys over the week, with starting the band. They seemed more focused. It’s been good to see them so much interested in something, and I’m grateful for that, which is why I’m glad to be here, and be the bearer of good news.”

Micky had found Davy, who’d just got there, and they joined the others. “Hey, guys, Micky told me the kids won.”

“I can’t stop long. I’ve got a few other clubs to visit as well. Is the manager around yet?” Mr. Harrison asked.

“No, she’s still on her break, but she already said she’ll be fine with me telling her anything,” Mike replied.

“Okay, fine. The Dive won first place! And here’s the cheque for one thousand dollars”

“Thanks” Mike took the cheque and show’d it to the others, none of them could believe that they’d helped win two things today.

“Wait a minute, there’s the guys I was expecting… You don’t mind a photo for the local papers? It’ll be in tomorrow’s edition.” Mr Harrison beckoned two men over and he and Mike at the front, with the other three behind them, posed for a photo.

“We’ve asked people who we’ve seen leaving the club over the past few weeks for their opinions, and I can say it’s all been good. The food you’ve been serving up recently is popular and well priced. Also the fact there’s a mixture in the styles of music that the bands here play; you cater for all ages and the teen events get the kids’ votes, and the parents’ too—of which you know I’m one—and there were good comments about the open mic night.”

“That’s great to hear. I’m sure Ronnie will be so happy to hear this,” Mike answered.

Mr. Harrison said he’d arranged for the press to come back and take some photos and write a review later in the evening.

“That’s good as we’re playing tonight,” Davy said. “We need to make sure we look our best. You want me to go to the pad and get some outfits? Don’t worry—I know what’s most suitable. I need to sort out my hair too, and I’ll need a shower.”

Davy took the Monkeemobile keys from Mike when they went back to the flat, and he was soon on his way. Pete picked up his bag from where Mike had left it in the living room. “Just remembered that I was passed a letter this morning at the hotel.”

He opened the envelope and passed it to Micky after he briefly read it. “Mike, it’s the licence for the club, signed by the mayor, for the all ages’ evenings and serving food! We did it!”

“That’s good! The girls should be happy. They’re late back, don’t you think?” Mike asked, taking the letter from Micky to look at.

“Yeah, I’m sure they’ll be here soon.” Micky went over to Pete. “Thanks for what you did to help us out yesterday. It wasn’t that bad, was it? You and Mike got a good night out of it.” Micky couldn’t resist saying. “You both enjoyed that suite, didn’t you, took as much benefit as possible?”

Mike stopped reading to answer the phone as it rang. “Hi, Ronnie, thought you’d be back by now…that’s no problem….so everything’s okay then? Good.” He looked at Pete who was now by his side. “Okay…nothing to worry about…I’ll explain to him. And we’ll see you tomorrow sometime. I’ve got some news, but it can wait until tomorrow. Bye, Ronnie.”

Mike didn’t give Pete any chance to say anything. “So that was Ronnie. She and Vicky have gone to see her mom and they’re staying overnight. They want to tell her about the pregnancies face to face, and her mom called, wanting to see her, so they thought it was the perfect chance to break the news.”

“Okay, so everything’s fine. Did she mention anything about the doctor’s appointment?”

“No, I forgot to ask, but they’ll be back sometime tomorrow, so I guess we’ll find out then, If it was anything bad, I’m sure they’d have come back earlier to see us. Let’s not worry.”

Micky stood between them. “Yeah, come on guys, let’s go get ready for our gig. It’s been a while since we played, and don’t forget the press are gonna be here too.”

Davy returned with their newer black band shirts. They ran through an hour’s rehearsal and were soon ready for the club to open. Mike was happy with how they sounded and thought the night went well. He noticed photos being taken and the younger pair making the most of the attention.

They had a chat with the journalist afterwards, Micky and Davy taking over most of it, going on about the club winning, that they would be holding teen nights in the future, that the Dive was the place to be seen on the Strip. 

Micky and Davy went off with Gemma and Tracy afterwards, Davy to the pad, Micky to Gemma’s. Mike and Jacob finished off in the club whilst upstairs Pete packed their things, ready for leaving the next day. They had a late supper and went to bed, both tired after a long day, falling asleep with Mike the big spoon to Pete snuggled in his arms.

The next morning was quiet. They had a late start, just Mike and Pete starting the day by having a leisurely breakfast, and Mike reading about the club’s win in one of the local papers.

Suddenly they were disturbed by a girl from the club knocking on the kitchen door. “Sorry to disturb you both, but there’s someone downstairs who want to see you… Do you mind? They’re sitting waiting—is that okay?”

“Sure, tell them we’ll be down in a minute. Offer them a drink, thanks, erm…” Mike answered.

“It’s Nancy. I’m new. I only started the other day,” she replied, before leaving them alone.

“Do you think you need me?” Pete asked Mike. “I could make a start on the dishes, and cleaning up the kitchen.”

“Not yet. You’re coming down too.” Mike grasped Pete’s hand, and made him follow him to the club. There were three people at a table. One woman was drinking a coffee, while the other two were reading newspapers. Mike couldn’t see their faces, but he went over to them.

“Hi, I’m Mike, temporary manager here at the Dive. How can I help you?” Mike was looking at the woman he could see when one of the others started to talk.

“Are you one of the band in this photo in the paper? Would you be kind enough to autograph it for me?”

Mike heard some female laughter and pulled the top of the paper down a little. “Ronnie, you’re back! I’m glad to see you, and you look really well.”

Vicky dropped her newspaper and revealed herself.

“So do you, Vicky. Nice haircut.”

Pete stood behind him looking a little shocked. “Why didn’t you call, tell us you’d be here early?” he asked.

“We wanted to surprise you, and, guys, I’d like you to meet my mom.” Ronnie gestured over to the woman opposite them.

“Hello, April Mackenzie. I’ve heard so much about you guys. They were right—two good-looking young men, aren’t you both?” She smiled at the two of them. “Those babies are gonna be adorable. It’s good to meet you.”

“Mom’s staying with us for a while, to help out,” Ronnie said.

“So you already know the club won first place and about the cash prize? We’ve all done our parts to help out,” Mike said indicating the papers.

“Yeah and we’ve already decided to use some of the money to make one of the storerooms into a small kitchen, to keep serving the food. Micky had a great idea there.”

Pete quickly spoke up, trying to change the subject. “So how did the doctor’s appointment go? Is everything okay with your pregnancies?”

“Yeah, but I think you better both sit down,” Vicky said, pulling out a chair. “What the doctor told us came as quite a shock to us. It’s not something we expected, as there’s no history of multiple births in either of our families.”

Mike and Pete stared at each other and then at Vicky and Ronnie. Mike got in first with, “What…?”

“I’m expecting twins!” Vicky announced. “So there’s gonna be three babies! You okay with that?”

“I don’t know what to say to that! You okay, babe?” Mike answered, taking Pete’s hand again and gazing at his slack-jawed expression.

Both of them were wondering what other surprises would be coming next into their usual chaotic lives…

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, please feel free to comment


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